The Servant: The Chaos Legacy
by Piccolo Sky
Summary: The untold story of Bahamut. In this second installment, a legacy of hatred pervades the developing human and esper worlds.
1. Happy Birthdays

Hello everyone! Piccolo Sky here again! For those of you who enjoyed "The Griever Saga" (all two of you :P), here's the next installment: "The Chaos Legacy"! Watch as the newly independent espers form a new society for themselves, begin to reproduce, and face a host of new evils in the still unfolding world.

Enjoy!

* * *

**THE SERVANT**

* * *

_The Chaos Legacy_

* * *

"Try it again, Ogopogo."

"Uh…I don't think I should."

"Just focus on being weightless…and it should work."

"Uh…uh…"

"That's it…good…you're doing it!"

"I am? I am! Huh? AUGH!"

"Oops!"

Leviathan quickly grabbed Ogopogo again as his concentration was broken, managing to keep him from falling before he could get far. As they went along, Bahamut was amazed at Leviathan. It might not be long before the sea serpent surpassed him. His mental ability was astonishing. Already, he had learned a move that, had it not been for the Planet, even Bahamut wouldn't know. And he learned it just by reading his own mind. But as he rejoiced in this, he heard the sigh beside him.

"I don't get it, Bahamut. We could have been their kings. Now no one knows what they'll do."

"I didn't want to be a king." Bahamut simply answered from Odin's side. "They'd never do anything for themselves. They'd always expect us to do everything for them, just like they did under Griever. And if you have that much control over a person…well…you know what I was afraid of. There's always the chance one of us could become the next Griever."

"Speak for yourself." Starlet answered with a turned up nose. "But I do agree that I want them to learn things for themselves." She paused after that, and then grew a bit melancholy. "But it's a pity we had to lose Palad…"

"He'll help them with everything they need to know." Bahamut reassured. "I'll be interested to see what else they can invent."

Wyvern frowned and pouted again, once more expressing his disgust with Bahamut's decisions.

"That's all in the future though." Bahamut returned. "We've got a lot of work to do yet."

"Exactly how much did the Planet teach you?" Ogopogo asked.

"Scads!" Leviathan answered. "Every few minutes I'm picking up something else from your brain, Bahamut. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want to learn all I can. I'd love to be on Bahamut's level."

"Does that mean we have to meditate for hours on end again?" Ogopogo groaned.

"I thought it was meditating before…" Bahamut corrected. "But I was wrong. It was talking with the Planet. All of us can do it. But it will take time to get it down. Once we do, however, our new powers will come flowing in. I'm a bit eager to see what the rest of you can do. But first, we need a new place to live."

"Any ideas?" Odin asked.

"Somewhere far away and remote. Like where Crusader was, where no one could get to it. Maybe something with mountains."

"I hate mountains!" Starlet shot back.

"We'll make some changes, of course." Bahamut replied with a knowing tone to his voice. "Just trust me."

* * *

For three days this was how it went. Every day, the espers flew with Bahamut's children and tried to find a new home. Every night, when they settled down, they not only tried to teach the drag-ons something, but they also tried to learn their own new abilities. Strangely, they all seemed to be somewhat better at it now, as if Bahamut's revelation had helped them somewhat. Within the three days, Leviathan's power had already doubled. Yet where he and Ogopogo were before, there now seemed to be a gap between them. Ogopogo learned everything much more slowly, and with more difficulty. At last, there was a difference between the twins. Leviathan was growing more bold and eager, while Ogopogo was lagging behind. It wasn't until the third day that Ogopogo risked flying on his own a little, and still he wasn't that good. In addition, Starlet learned two new techniques, but she refused to share them with anyone, only giving them a teasing smile instead.

In addition, the drag-ons learned quickly. They were soon already saying 'no', in response to all the times the espers had told them no to what they were doing. They were hunting food rather like Wyvern and Bahamut did, and they grew more receptive to love. Leviathan could tell that their intelligence was growing fast, and that they were learning more and more every day. Things that had been hard to grip for them were coming easy to the drag-ons. Within a year, they'd be talking aswell as the espers were.

Bahamut continued to eat a lot, particularly meat. He kept running around, and grew sore every new day. However, it was working. His muscles were still strained, but he was growing accustomed to it. He could actually stand somewhat without help. He was a long way from being able to fly, but other than that he was ok. Wyvern seemed to enjoy this, however. He kept teasing Bahamut every day about his weakness, elbowing him a little and making him fall over every time he finished getting up. "Little thing like that wear you out? You're tripping on your own two feet, Big B!" Bahamut took this all with a laugh…but the others were more uneasy. Bahamut was in genuine pain some of the time, and they didn't like what Wyvern was doing.

But on the morning of the fourth day, the group crossed a rather extensive ocean. After doing so, and coming on the other side, they ran into a new mountain chain. This was on a large island, nearly continent sized. It was far to the south of the Planet, and this far below, even when the sun was shining, it was pretty cool. There was snow on the mountaintops. As the reached the place and looked down, they saw that it was rocky and rough all over. Even if humans had come here, nothing could live here. There was no vegetation or people, even if the land was still good enough to grow things. If one could go to a lower altitude it would be warmer, but as it was it was no good. It was too far above sea level.

As they flew over, something caught Bahamut's eye. One of the mountains rose high above the others. It towered twice as big as the surrounding ones. It was massive and huge...powerful to behold. It had to be the biggest mountain in the world. It looked to be made of solid rock, but was big and broad and took up a lot of volume. On seeing this particular mountain, Bahamut's eyes grew large. He held up a finger and pointed to it.

"That's it. That's our new home."

The espers froze in mid-air. They stared down at it and held a moment. A cold wind blew by, and they saw how barren and lifeless the place was. After a moment, one by one, they began to frown.

"Er…Bahamut?"

"It's a lifeless rock!"

"I'm not sleeping on that!"

"Where's the water?"

"Bahamut, be reasonable." Wyvern finally spoke up. "That thing is a giant boulder. There's no food around it, no water, no anything."

"Oh, there's water all right." Bahamut answered. He pointed a claw at the mountain. "Check it out, an underground river."

The espers looked in response. Sure enough, there were springs and mountain water running off it far below, forming a river that extended behind it. Part of it seemed to be joined by an internal place in the mountain, that could have been an underground lake. But in the end, the espers still frowned. "It's still a miserable place to live."

Bahamut smiled in reply. "Put me down, Odin."

The warrior esper looked to him in response. He was confused for a moment, but in the end shrugged and let him off. Bahamut dipped a little, seeming to almost fall. However, though he couldn't use his wings, he could fly under his own power. And he did at that moment, making himself hover in mid-air, right over the big mountain. He turned to the others, and with some strain spoke to them.

"Everyone get back."

The espers hesitated, but then went back as they were told. Bahamut kept gesturing them back, until they reached what he thought was a safe distance. After that, Bahamut turned his head to the sky. The sun was still shining down, and that was what he wanted. He unfurled his wings, and as before with Griever the solar energy was drawn to himself. He summoned itand soonbuilt up another huge blast. His power sky-rocketed. The energy cloud formed around him again. The sky rumbled and light bolts flashed around him once more. Then, at last, he turned his head straight down and fired off an unmistakable Sol-pyrin. The other espers watched as it sailed straight down…and struck the mountain in the center.

Immediately, they all shielded themselves from the noise and heat. The drag-ons screeched in fear and terror. What looked like a sunburst erupted from the mountain, blasting up a huge upheaval of rock all over thecountryside in a fiery wave. Bahamut himself struggled to shield his body, and the action drained so much power from him that even as the fire went off, he had to fly back over to Odin and let himself be grabbed again. But at last, this latest explosion died down as well. Sizzling debris rained back down on the ground, and the huge smoke that arose from the mountain began to fade on the wind. The espers slowly recovered. The frightened drag-ons flew around and grew nervously close to their parents. Bahamut smiled at what he had done.

"How did you manage to do that!" Wyvern accused after a moment. "I thought you were out of power!"

"Sunlight, remember?" Leviathan replied. "He takes the power for that attack from the sun."

Wyvern still frowned and looked away.

"Ah, much better." Bahamut responded. "Have a look."

The espers paused, but then did what Bahamut said.The smoke cleared a bit more, then revealed Bahamut's wake. A huge tunnel had been blasted into the mountain, more like a wide hole almost the width of the mountain's crown. That was nearly a mile across. It went down deep, deep into the rocky place. The espers hesitated a moment, but then dipped down into it. They slowly began to hover into the mountain.

As they lowered, the sunlight grew dimmer around them.They saw they had a huge amount of room. There was even more available, for the mountain widened dramatically around them in all directions. This was only a small part of it for starters. As they lowered and it grew darker, they felt the air actually change. This deep in the ground of the mountain, away from the high altitude, it seemed to get warm. Apparently, some geothermal heat was doing it. They kept dipping down, until Wyvern was first to touch the dark bottom. It was dim down here, and because the sun hadn't yet gone overhead it was hard to see. But his feet landed right in cold water.

"Ugh!" The esper called in surprise. He immediately flapped a bit more into the air. The other espers looked down on hearing the cry. There was water at the bottom. But as they held there a moment, their eyes began to adjust somewhat. They realized that there was a lake at the bottom of where Bahamut had blasted. But around the rim there was still rocky land. They quickly moved over to the sides of the lake and plopped down.

Bahamut let himself off of Odin and went to the floor of the mountain. "Better?" He asked with cheerfulness. "Now we have a warm place with pure water. When the sun gets higher it will fill this place with light. And we're the only ones who can get into it." Here, he gestured back up at the deep crater they had just come in, with its sheer walls. "It's like our own new Ultima Nexus."

Starlet frowned. "But it's a rock…" She moaned.

"Not for long." Bahamut reassured. "I obliterated some rocks so much they became soil-like." Here, he turned to the ground and looked a bit more. After a moment, he found a pile of fine rock pebbles that were almost dirt, near the inner lake of the mountain. He immediately brushed away some, placed his seed from Ultima Nexus on it, and then covered it up. "The seeds from Ultima Nexus are very hardy. Soon, it will grow and its roots will start breaking up the rock into soil. We can bring some too from outside as well. Not just soil, but plants too."

The espers paused at that, and looked around. Some of them still had their doubts. But overall, this place did seem to have possibilities. They also trusted Bahamut's judgment. He was clearly the smartest one out of them all, after all. For a moment, no one said anything. But then, at length, they voiced their new complaints.

"We're going to want a place to sun ourselves."

"And I want a new room."

"I'll need a place to train."

"And I need a place to get away from these whiners."

"And a place to put the kids!"

Bahamut grinned in reply. "No problem. First, Starlet, I'm going to need you to give me some more power. Next, Wyvern, could you come over here? I think you'll need to help."

Starlet nodded, then gave Bahamut some more energy. Wyvern himself walked over with some confusion. But Bahamut knew this would cheer him up. He was sure his brother had wanted to do something with him for some time, and now was finally their chance.Once he was at his side, he leaned over to his head and whispered something in his ear. Wyvern looked back in surprise at that. Bahamut grinned at him in response, and after a moment Wyvern began to grin as well. Both knowing what was in mind, they both turned and walked to opposite sides of the group. They both stood and hesitated for a moment. Then, together, both of them opened their mouths and fired off Pyrons.

The espers shrank back in response, and guarded the drag-ons as this happened. Then, they both watched as the blasts impacted the rock walls around the floor one after the other. The blasts tore into the granite, sending boulders and debris flying everywhere. A few moments went by of these explosions and flames. But in the end, they both died down. The group slowly looked up from where they were, and looked to see what had happened with some anxiety. They saw that two fifty foot tunnels had just been blasted into the mountain on either side. Immediately, Bahamut and Wyvern both inhaled and blasted into them again.

* * *

The rest of the day was a blast, literally. Bahamut and Wyvern moved deeper and deeper into the mountain with each Pyron, blasting out tunnels in the place. They soon blasted out rooms on the edges as well, creating small openings for windows and light as well. They branched off from several tunnels, but blasted all day long. Bahamut grew tired frequently and had to eat, but Wyvern worked tirelessly. And between Bahamut's superior overall power, the two managed to stay pretty even. Luckily, Odin found it easy to find food. Not far from the barren mountain range, the river came onto fertile land, where there was plenty of game to eat. Leviathan and Ogopogo both jumped into the river, where after enjoying the water for a few minutes, they came up and began to spit a new type of water attack. This one acted as more of a blasting type, and it blasted away at the rocks and broke them down into more usable soil. They also blasted huge holes in the ground. Starlet responded by leaving and getting things for them. She came back with true soil and filled the holes with them, then continued with saplings or young flowers. Bahamut was right. Most of the day, sun did pour in down the hole. Because of that, the plants would live. Soon, their little mountain was beginning to have the makings of a real home.

"What should we call it?" Starlet asked after some hours had passed, while she was tending to the bored "drag-ons".

"How about Ultima Nexus II?" Ogopogo ventured.

"Nah, we should name it something ourselves." Leviathan answered. "How about…Terratopolis? It's a human word. It means 'city of earth'."

No one had any dispute with that. Some liked it. And so, the name was adopted.

* * *

By late afternoon, both Wyvern and Bahamut were tired. And so, the entire group retired to an upper chamber. It was rough cut, but it did have a skylight that was beaming down sun into the area. And it was large and open. Because the rock that made this place up was white, Bahamut had thought it would make a good meeting chamber. A small dip was in the ground in the center of the room where the light was. When the group had all arrived, the four Crystal pieces were put into the center. After doing so, Leviathan explained something.

"The Crystals have been changing, Bahamut. They feel different. One of them shimmers like fire in the light. One of them shines like a crystal sea. One of them looks like the sky inside. And the last one has a deep color like rich earth."

"Figures." Bahamut simply answered.

Again, all of the espers looked to him with puzzled appearances. They wondered how he thought of that.

"Think about it." Bahamut replied. "The Four Fiends were spawned from the dark side of the Crystal. Four of them, and they represented four elements. Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. So it only makes sense that when the Crystal is broken, they form corresponding Crystals. It looks like we now have a Fire Crystal, Water Crystal, Wind Crystal, and Earth Crystal."

"So what do we do with them?" Ogopogo asked.

"We'll hang onto them for now." Bahamut answered. "But they also have the power to give a lot of life to this world. We'll find places that need it and put them there. A cold place will be warmed by the Fire Crystal, a desert place will get life from the Water Crystal, a stagnant place will get breezes by the Wind Crystal, and a wasteland will become fertile from the Earth Crystal."

The others took this in for a moment. But in the end, they gave their nods of approval. It seemed like a good idea.

"Alright. Let's all try to get in touch with the Planet again. Tomorrow we'll do some more decorating."

As Bahamut said this, however, he heard a dragging sound. The other espers did too, and turned to the source. They saw that Leviathan was grunting and groaning and pushing forward a large boulder toward Starlet. It seemed to vaguely be flat on the top, providing a place to sit down. After he had pushed it close enough to her, he backed off and panted for a moment.

"Here, Starlet." He spoke, a bit nervously…as if it made him nervous to talk to her. "You can sit on this."

Starlet looked at it a moment, blinking in response. But then, abruptly, she formed a smile. At that, she faced the stone and closed her eyes. She held up one finger in front of her and seemed to concentrate. The others looked at her in puzzlement, wondering what this meant. Then, abruptly, she opened her eyes and made a cutting motion in the air. As she did, to the shock of the espers, the stone broke apart on sides. Large strips and chunks suddenly were thrown off of it. Curved pieces of rock were blown aside. Each new blast matched Starlet's finger. However, she was soon done, and put her hand down. To the amazement of the espers, an elegant-looking four legged chair made of stone now was before them. It matched the style of Starlet's old bed, and she smiled as she looked at it.

"That's how _I_ decorate." She confidently answered.

"How…how did you do that!" Ogopogo exclaimed. The others were justly surprised, staring at the thing the whole time.

"It's not hard." Starlet simply answered. "It's one of my latest tricks. I found that we have the power to manipulate things like this from a distance, to convert raw material into things. I'd prefer wood, but for now this will do fine." With that, she calmly walked over to her new chair, spread out her gown below her, and sat down. The others still stared in surprise. Even Bahamut was amazed. Leviathan blinked a bit as well…ignoring the fact that his attempted kindness had just been wasted. They were all truly amazed at this ability.

However, Leviathan licked his own lips, thought for a moment, then turned over to the place where the Crystal's hovered. He closed his own eyes. He focused, and his whiskers hovered in front of his face. Abruptly, they did the same kind of movements Starlet had done. Immediately, to the shock of all present, the center crater suddenly blasted out the rough edges of its rock floor, immediately making a perfect smooth sphere in the ground. A small dias rose up next made of rock, and it too was soon carved to become a geometrically perfect platform. Once that was done, Leviathan exhaled and opened his eyes. He looked around for approval.

"Not bad for a first timer, eh?"

The espers were doubly amazed. Starlet especially. "Leviathan," Bahamut spoke up. "You just learned Starlet's power in seconds!"

The sea serpant grinned and innocently shrugged. "Well, like she said…it wasn't that hard."

Starlet crossed his arms, looked away, and pouted. "I was being sarcastic…"

"Anyway, now that that's over." Bahamut went on, getting back on topic. "Let's see how many other abilities we can awaken."

However, on hearing that, Starlet suddenly turned back to the esper. "Hey, Bahamut." She interceded. "I had something else in mind. I think we all did."

Bahamut perked up to that, and looked to her. The espers did as well, wondering what she was thinking. "Yes?"

"Now that Palad's gone…I want to know how to reproduce." Starlet responded straightforwardly. "Teach me how."

"Yeah." Leviathan instantly chimed in, eager at the thought. "It'd be cool to have our own children for a change. And your little drag-ons aren't really that neat… I'd like to make a real esper."

"I am interested myself…" Odin spoke grimly…his voice covering a hidden air.

"Not me." Wyvern huffed. "The last thing we need is more little runts running around."

"Oh, quit being such a stick in the mud!" Starlet shot back immediately, fearing Bahamut wouldn't if Wyvern said anything. She immediately turned to Bahamut again, and her eyes grew large and pleading. "Please? I'd really like a child."

"Yeah! Come on. Please?"

"Show us how, Bahamut."

"Yeah."

Soon, all of the espers were pressing in on Bahamut. He sighed and put up his hands in a stopping gesture, trying to halt all of their voices. He didn't like all this clamor, but he didn't know what else to do. "Alright, alright…" He spoke up, halting them. "Ok, I'll tell you. Just all of you be quiet."

The espers soon calmed down afterward. However, Starlet leapt and clapped her hands for joy. "Yay! I'm going to be a mother too!"

"But you guys better think this through for a moment." Bahamut warned. "We're still learning about our powers as well. We're not even fully grown. We've got a lot of work to do on our home. We're going to have a lot of work to do with the drag-ons as well. I don't know if we have time to devote to children."

"Aw, come on, Bahamut!" Starlet whined. "I really want a baby!"

"And I'd like one too." Leviathan chimed in.

Bahamut sighed. He realized there was no reasoning with him. Had he had a choice, he wouldn't have made his own offspring. But now he was stuck with them. And he knew the others wouldn't be satisfied until they had their own too. He saw no way out of it. At last, he caved in. "Fine, Ok, I'll explain. First…"

Suddenly, Leviathan waved his tail in the air.

Bahamut blinked for a moment, but then called on him. "Um, Leviathan?"

"Hey, can I tell how?" Leviathan asked earnestly.

Bahamut was more amazed than ever. He had his instincts telling him how to reproduce for a while. But the split reproduction and fusion birth had just been revealed to him by the Planet. Surely, Leviathan couldn't mean that he knew how to do that too. Bahamut had just learned it himself. However, he gave a nod to Leviathan, earnest to see what he would say.

Immediately, Leviathan turned to the others and began. "Ok. Here's how it works. First, we can do what Bahamut did. We can take a part of ourselves and split it off into another person. If we do it correctly, we should get an esper out of it rather than just these drag-ons. But if we do, we'll permanently lose a part of ourselves to make the new esper. You have to use either your good side, your evil side, your power, your courage, or your wisdom. This is called a 'split reproduction'."

Bahamut's eyes widened.

"The next kind of reproduction is…" Leviathan trailed off a moment, and blushed a little. "Well…you know…when a man and a woman get together. But seeing as Starlet's the only one that could do that, it might be a little hard. This is basic sexual reproduction.

"The last kind is a special type of reproduction as well. We can take the energy from one of us, male or female, combine it with another, male or female, and that will make a new type of infant. This is called a 'fusion birth'."

Bahamut was amazed. He couldn't believe it. Leviathan's new knowledge was increasing rapidly. Had they had even so much as one more week before the fight with Griever, Leviathan might have been on par with him and Wyvern. He might have even surpassed them. But then again, Bahamut wondered if that was right. This new change and drive to improve in Leviathan had come about only recently. Before then, he was stuck to his brother like glue. They did everything together, and grew together or not at all. Only recently was Leviathan trying to be more and making a more heroic figure of himself. Not long ago, Leviathan was an uncaring, self-important weakling. But he had grown tremendously in the past few days. The esper had new respect for him.

"Right…" Bahamut finally answered. "However, there are a few things Leviathan forgot. All of us have some mixture of elements inside ourselves as well. We can make the widest variety of espers if we combine different elements together. What more…" Here, Bahamut gestured to Starlet's hand, which was still guarding the Phoenix magicite. "Because Phoenix still has her magicite, we can still combine her energy with one of us to make a fusion birth."

Starlet beamed in joy. "You mean, we can still have Phoenix's children with us?" She spoke in hope. "It's not Phoenix, but it's still a part of her. That's wonderful!"

"Let's do that first, Bahamut." Leviathan immediately chimed in. "We should make some offspring from Phoenix. That way, we'll still have her powers and her with us in a way."

"Alright, sounds good." Bahamut responded. "But there's a problem. One of us will have to do the fusion. Which one of us wants to be the father…or mother?"

The espers all paused in reply for a moment. They stopped and looked to each other for a few moments, trying to see if anyone volunteered. At last, Odin spoke up. "You know, if you want opposites to produce the greatest variety, then we had better have it be either Leviathan or Ogopogo."

Immediately, all of the espers looked to the two of them. Both of them turned a shade white, and looked around a bit nervously, at all the eyes turned to them. Finally, Ogopogo jumped out of the way and back to the crowd, where he turned and looked at Leviathan like the others. Leviathan turned a bit more pale, and looked to Ogopogo in shock. He turned around a bit, but in the end swallowed and shrugged.

"I…guess it's me."

* * *

Minutes later, the group had reassembled in another room, which was to henceforth be the "fusion" room. Starlet immediately started reshaping the floor to form an intricate pair of tiles next to each other. What separated them was a larger raised tile dias. The others assembled and eagerly awaited the result. As for Leviathan, having been drafted into fatherhood, he looked nervous and only slowly made his way forward to the tiles. He swallowed and sweat like any parent-to-be would be expected. Then he stood there nervously and looked from side to side.

"Uh…this is going to produce espers, won't it?"

"Four of them, actually." Bahamut responded calmly, bringing the magicite forward. He held it over to the tile in the air, and then released it. The magicite, like the Crystals, balanced on the air, and hovered there. "I see Phoenix's magicite has enough energy in it to make four."

Leviathan swallowed and looked on the brink of fainting. "Four kids…?"

"Yay! Four babies!" Starlet cheered.

"Man, I can't believe it…we're going to be real parents." Ogopogo mused. "We're actually going to make new espers."

Bahamut backed up and stood at a distance. Leviathan, now on the spot, swallowed and looked nervously around. However, Bahamut gestured to him and tried to coach him through this.

"Ok… Leviathan, you with me?"

"Huh?"

"You ready?"

"What?"

"Leviathan, you're too nervous. Breathe. No, too fast. Breathe slower and deeper. Shake your hands. That's it. Now you're calming down. Now just focus."

"Ok…"

"Are you focused?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, first thing you have to do is focus inwardly. Feel your own aura."

Leviathan inhaled sharply, and closed his eyes. He focused for a few moments in silence.

"Feel it yet?"

"No…"

"How about now?"

"No…"

"…Now?"

"You keep interrupting me, I'll never find it."

"Sorry."

"…Now."

"Ok. The next step, is to take a bit of it off. It's kind of like what Starlet did earlier. Only you need to grasp within yourself a ball of it. Imagine a piece of your energy forming a distinct sphere. Grab it. Hold onto it."

Leviathan inhaled sharply. He raised his head, and probed within for a moment. As he concentrated on this, Wyvern leaned forward to Bahamut with a frown. "Even if he does this, it won't work with the magicite."

"No, it'll be fine." Bahamut reassured. "Phoenix's spirit will resonate with Leviathan's. The power will come out of the magicite."

"Ok, I feel it. I've got it." Leviathan announced.

"Good. Now, here's the hard part." Bahamut warned in a dropping voice. "Holding onto it…I want you to move it out of your body and over your head. Can you do that?"

"I…I think…" Leviathan answered. He focused harder than before. Sweat began to form on his brow. His skin wrinkled. He grit his teeth. But he kept focusing. Finally, his head began to glow a blue color. As it did, the espers noticed that the top of the magicite began to glow as well. Leviathan kept focusing, and kept pushing up. Nothing came for a while, but the glow kept building. It grew bigger and bigger…until finally it came. Abruptly, the energy pulled out of Leviathan, and formed a small, shining sphere over his head. Immediately, Phoenix's magicite did the same, only forming a small red orb over it, hovering at the same height.

"Look!" Starlet beamed.

"Don't interrupt!" Bahamut shushed, then went back to Leviathan. "Ok. Leviathan? Can you feel the other orb? The one over Phoenix?"

"Y…Yeah…"

"Bring your orb over to it, and put them together. Keep a grasp on them. When you feel them mix, let them go, and then wait."

Leviathan continued to drip sweat. His body quivered with tension. But he did as he was told. The orb slowly began to move over to the red one. As it did, the red one also came out to meet with the blue one. He focused and moved, bringing it closer and closer. At last, Bahamut began to step backward. The other espers looked at this in surprise, but then turned back to the sight. They were captivated, eager to see what was going to happen next. At last, the two of them touched. They did so for a fraction of a second, before they both suddenly seemed to be absorbed into one another. They shot together and formed one purple orb. At that, the reaction happened.

A brilliant white flash erupted in the middle of the room. The espers were nearly thrown back as a shockwave ripped out over them all. They brought up their hands and shielded themselves, but still the gale force winds blew debris and dust to them. The white flash continued to burn before them, and brilliant, dazzling golden objects moved around within it. But none could look. None could see anything. They all had to look away or be blinded.

At last, as fast as the flash had happened, it dissipated. The air returned to normal again. Everything was normal again. But the espers still cringed, still covering their eyes from the blinding. They held and waited for a long time, unable to turn back to the sight. Even Leviathan was cringing, putting his coils in front of his eyes and not looking at his result. Then, at last, a sound called them back…the sound of babies crying.

The group opened their eyes. Starlet was first, but the others soon followed. They turned and looked back at the result. Immediately, Starlet cupped her hands to her mouth with joy and ran up to them. Leviathan blinked in astonishment. He turned a bit whiter, and with a sigh nearly fell backward. He had done it, but was amazed at what he had done. He felt on the brink of passing out after what he had pulled off. Just as Bahamut predicted, four babies were now laying on the dias.

The other espers quickly ran up to them and began to look at them. Bahamut scanned them over for a moment, but then nodded. "These are definitely full espers. They don't have the same pre-set knowledge of facts we do, but they have the connection to the Planet and hidden powers as well. I can sense it."

Starlet scooped up the first two babies in either arm. The first had yellow-brown skin. Two small horns were growing out of the top of his head. His eyes were red, and he had nails and a bit of a dog-like face. Fur seemed to be growing out in a mane shape. But for now, he only cried due to hunger. He fussed and kicked a lot, but overall seemed to enjoy the warmth of being in Starlet's arm. That was odd, for he felt warm to the touch. The other was much quieter. She looked rather humanoid, except her skin and hair were pale blue. She sucked her thumb quietly and lay in Starlet's arm peacefully, only occasionally giving out a small whine. She, on the other hand, felt cold to the touch. The former was male, the latter was female. "Oh…" Starlet cooed. "Leviathan, come look at your children."

Leviathan wavered a bit, but managed to slide forward. He looked at the babies in Starlet's arms as she turned to him. He brightened for a moment, but then let out a sigh and did pass out, falling to the ground in a scaly heap.

"He'll get used to them." Starlet reasoned, smiling at the two babies.

The others were focusing on the other two. The next looked humanoid in build and skin, but his eyebrows were strange. They were bushy and white, sticking off of his head, which was bald as an egg. He was male as well. He cried a bit at first. Ogopogo looked at him, and extended his tail to comfort him. But as he touched the baby, the esper received a small shock. Ogopogo yelped and quickly drew his tail back, and the baby, seeing this, laughed a bit in reply.

The last one was fussy at first, but once he had attention he quickly quieted down. He too was somewhat humanoid. But he was the chubbiest baby any of them had ever seen. His skin was a dark, clay-like color, and his skin, far from being soft, already seemed rough and hard when Odin touched him. He also was male. Only one female had come out of them all. But none of them seemed to care that much. They seemed to be preoccupied with the babies at the moment.

"Hmph…I should have known they'd not look the same." Odin murmured.

"Oh hush. They're all perfect." Starlet responded. She turned away to another part of the room, and saw another rock. Immediately, she performed her technique again. Rocks flew off from it, until it turned into a giant stone rocking cradle. After that, she went over to Odin, and somehow while supporting both babies in her arms, she seized his cape and tore it off his back with one mighty pull. The warrior esper immediately turned to her in a mixture of surprise and fury.

"Hey!"

"Oh, be quiet. They need bedding. I'll get something soft for them later. It'll only be a few hours." With that, Starlet turned and walked over to the crib. After folding Odin's cape and placing it inside, she lowered both of the babies into it as well. Odin scowled and crossed his arms angrily, turning back to the other two. Starlet immediately turned back and moved to go take them up as well.

"They need names." Ogopogo mentioned.

"Certainly." Bahamut responded. "And this time, I think we should name them things after the Planet's language." He turned to Leviathan at that. "What do you think, big daddy?"

On hearing "daddy", the recovering Leviathan immediately rolled his eyes back and passed out again.

"Oh, forget him. He'll hear their names later." Starlet waved off. She reached the next two, bent down, and picked them up. She beamed at these two as well, looking down and over them. She turned to one and the other, looking at the chubby and the skinny one. Finally, she turned to the chubby one. "Why don't we call this one 'Titan', immovable?"

"Why that?" Ogopogo asked.

"Well, he's big and rough." Starlet answered. Then she bent her head down and shook her hair over the baby, who cooed and reached up and tried to grab it. "And won't you grow up to be a big strong guy? Won't you? Little cutie…"

"Ok, Titan." Bahamut answered. "What about the other?"

"He shocked me…" Ogopogo whined.

"Then let's call him 'Ramuh', amazing." Starlet answered matter-of-factly, setting the two new babies into the crib with their siblings. After leaning back up, she looked back down over the last two. She held a moment, and thought about them. "These last two are strange. This one looks like a wolf, so let's name him 'Fenrir', wolf."

But Bahamut shook his head. "Nah. I think what's better is that they're fire and ice. And the two words for that are 'Ifrit' and 'Shiva'."

Starlet pouted. "I like Fenrir…" She spoke aloud. But then, she paused. "But Ifrit and Shiva go so nice together… I guess you're right. Ifrit and Shiva would go best together."

At that time, Leviathan groaned and slowly raised himself off the ground. "Did I…miss anything…?" He asked uneasily.

"Yes." Starlet immediately responded. "Your children are named Titan, Ramuh, Ifrit, and Shiva."

Leviathan blinked and shook his head. "Uh…which one's which?"

"I'll tell you later." Starlet simply answered. "Right now, I want to be next."

"That sounds good to me." Odin responded, stepping forward afterward. On hearing that, Starlet turned to Odin in sudden surprise. All of the espers did. As they looked at him, they saw that he was suddenly resolute and changed. His harshness from a moment earlier had vanished. "Let's have a child together then."

This really surprised the others. Odin didn't look like the type for doing this. However, the biggest reaction came from Leviathan. He actually looked struck by this statement, and he looked from Starlet to Odin and back after hearing it.

"Excuse me?" Starlet heard.

"You heard me." Odin answered sharply. "Let's have a child. We can reproduce tonight. We don't need this fusion technique. You can have a baby the natural way."

Leviathan looked really taken at this. In fact…he looked almost hurt. He turned to them both, seeming to hope that Starlet would say no to this. Bahamut himself was concerned. Why did Odin suddenly want a child? And why in this way? He didn't seem to care anything for Starlet. He was his same dark persona as always. But in the end, however, it seemed as if Starlet didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. She brightened up and smiled. Her only real concern was having a baby. "Alright, let's do it. It'll be fun."

"Starlet…" Leviathan started to say.

Odin turned around and glared at the sea serpent darkly at that. Leviathan cringed a bit and went quiet. However, Starlet, not seeing, looked to Leviathan in puzzlement. "What is it, Leviathan?"

The esper swallowed hard. He looked down and dejected. He looked up to Odin, who continued to glare darkly at him. In the end, he backed down. "Nothing."

Starlet seemed puzzled at this, but oblivious to anything else. She turned back to Odin with a smile. "I'll be happy to do it, Odin. But I really want a child tonight. So I hope you don't mind if I do the fusion technique as well."

Odin frowned and snorted. "Fine. Just hurry it up."

Starlet, so happy with children that she ignored this, turned back to the others. Leviathan masked a frown at Odin, and kept his head lowered. "Well, who wants to go with me?" Starlet asked merrily.

Leviathan began to raise his head, when suddenly Ogopogo spoke up. "Well…er…" Her nervously replied. "I guess…I'm next and all. I suppose I should give it a shot. I'm sure Leviathan isn't that eager to go again after what happened." He turned to his younger brother at this. "Are you?"

"…No." Leviathan answered at length. He bowed his head and said nothing more. He looked rather down and dejected this time.

"Well, alright then." Bahamut answered. "Step right up."

Both Starlet and Ogopogo stepped to the different pads. Then, they began to process as well. It was harder this time. Both of them lacked the focus that Leviathan had, and it took them numerous tries to bring out their auras. After that, it took even longer to get them balanced right, and then to move them to each other at the exact same time. The whole process took two hours, and most of the espers were bored at that point. But in the end, the two balls met, and another flash of light exploded from the middle chamber. The espers again looked away and waited for it to die down. But at long last, it did die. They all turned back, and saw the result.

This time, a small cheeping baby bird-like esper was in the center. It waddled around on its wings, and held open its mouth to be fed.

Starlet was ecstatic. "I don't believe it! Another bird! It's like I have Phoenix back all over again!"

Ogopogo wrinkled his eyebrow. "I gave birth to _that_? It doesn't even have any scales."

"Oh, hush up!" Starlet snapped, getting angry at the male responses. She scooped up the bird and held it close to her breast, while it continued to cheep for food. "I'm sure you'll look beautiful when you grow up. I'm going to call you 'Palidor', the return."

"Hurry up and put the damn thing down." Odin snapped at Starlet, who was making her way over to the crib with the others. "You wasted all day doing that. I want to get this over with."

Starlet turned to Odin, and for a moment looked hurt. She had never been spoken so roughly to before by him…at least not regarding such a thing she regarded as so important. Palidor was precious to her. But Odin was dismissing it so readily. He seemed impatient and almost violent to do what he had planned to do. At last, she put her in the crib. After that was done, she turned and walked somewhat hesitantly back to Odin. Once in range, the esper immediately shot out a hand and seized her somewhat painfully by the wrist. Starlet winced in reply, but Odin immediately turned and began to drag her out of the room. She turned back to the others as she left, and managed to hold up her hand to wave…as her face looked uneasy about what was going to happen.

"Look after Palidor, everyone. I'll be back in an hour."

* * *

Now we're getting more espers. A brief note, however. You may be wondering why the espers are so nonchalant about the whole process of reproduction, and especially sex. Well, at this point, the espers are still extremely immature. Even having a baby to them is like having a "new pet". As far as sex goes, they have no interests in pleasure or meaningful relationships with each other...at least, not all of them... At this point, espers mostly only look to the act for the sake of producing another child. That may change in the future...

To be continued...


	2. Two Roads Diverge

No one got to sleep much that night.

They had tried to go into their Planet exercises next. But the espers soon learned that after childbirth, baby comes first. The babies cried and whined for food, and they had to be fed first. So the espers had to go out, find food, chew it up, and regurgitate it for them…seeing as Starlet was the only one with milk and she was absent for the moment. It took forever to get them quiet, for then they wanted to be held and burped and put someplace comfortable. They all soon had to have their own cribs made. Not only that, the group had to go out hunting until well past nightfall for pelts, hides, and bird feathers to make into bedding for them. They did discover that they could make pouches out of fur and then fill them with bird feathers to make a comfortable object…and soon after returning Starlet wanted one for herself, and would not stop talking to them about how she would have another baby in nine months. What more, Odin had to destroy his cape…because the babies didn't seem to know how or where to go to properly urinate and defecate. Cloths had to be tied around their middles to keep them from soiling their bedding. But at last, they were all asleep. After that, Bahamut decided on a new rule.

"Let's only have children every fifty years, alright?"

"I agree."

"Me too."

"Me three."

"Definitely."

It was partially a population control measure. They couldn't just run around making babies all the time. But on the same token…the espers realized they were in for a good five years of hell now. After they were done, they wanted to skip on meditation. But between Bahamut's urging and the new powers of Leviathan and Starlet, no one was willing to let it go. And so, they sighed and submitted themselves to it. They had gotten a good few hours in before the babies woke up, demanding a late night feeding. Soon, the espers were being run ragged again to get them their food. The rule was nearly changed to a century after that first night. But in the end, the morning broke, and the haggard espers managed to put their children down again.

Groggily, the six espers dragged themselves into the main chamber in the morning. They all looked worn out. They barely moved forward. Leviathan and Bahamut nearly collapsed into piles. Ogopogo curled up and snored. Odin looked ready to employ the Zantetsuken once again. But they were still up and ready.

"Alright, everyone…" Bahamut groggily announced. "We have more work to do today. We need to blast out more chamber, then start decorating. And if you want wood furniture…" He looked to the sleepy Starlet at this. "…Get it yourself." He finished grumpily.

"Here, here." Ogopogo answered.

However, there was one esper that was different from them all. Wyvern alone seemed to be bright and chipper that day. He had been awake like the others, but he was forcing himself to look up and bright. "Wait a minute, everyone." He suddenly announced, turning to all of his sleepy siblings. "Before we do any of that, I want to get into something that I think is going to be rather important."

"What is it?" Starlet asked with a yawn.

"Well, there's going to be more of us now. There's going to be a lot more." Wyvern answered. "And as we have children, they'll have children too. Who knows how many they'll soon be? And humans too. They're going to have a lot of children as well. Soon, the world will be filled with them. And it's because of all that…that I want to make a proposal." Wyvern paused, and inhaled a deep breath at this, as if eager to say it.

"I think…we should elect a king of espers."

This woke the others up. They all rose and stared at Wyvern in response. They said nothing for a moment. However, Odin snorted after a moment. "King… What do we need with a king?"

"Well, think about it." Wyvern responded. "We need someone to make the decisions around here. We're going to be facing a lot from now on. We're going to need rules about childbirth and contact with humans and care of children. We're going to need to see what parts of this mountain get devoted to what. And what if the humans start to do something bad? What if something else comes up? Some one needs to organize them. We need someone to settle all of our arguments and be some moderator and arbitrator. Look at what we've done so far. We've already had to make decisions to leave the humans, decisions of where to settle, and decisions about children. We managed to agree with those, but when there are more of us, who's going to decide?"

The espers hesitated at this. Odin was still skeptical. However, Leviathan, Ogopogo, Starlet, and Bahamut realized the utility of what Wyvern was saying. Bahamut didn't like the idea of another ruler over them, but he couldn't deny the fact that a lot of hard decisions had to be made. In the wealth of knowledge he now possessed, he saw room for many more decisions to be made. And they could be serious or dangerous. They had gotten along well enough now, but in the future they might not. Once the others were on his level, they'd be less apt to want to make decisions together. There had to be one. There did need to be someone to settle the arguments and get them moving on. Perhaps it was a good idea.

"That argument may be valid…" Leviathan admitted.

"Of course it's valid!" Wyvern shot back, almost angrily. "So who's with me? Anyone else agree?"

"Well…I guess it would help things out around here…" Ogopogo admitted.

"And we could split up tasks more easily…" Starlet commented.

"Seems we already have a leader…" Odin grumpily answered. "But whatever."

"Bahamut?" Wyvern asked, turning to the esper.

Bahamut held a long time. He still wasn't sure he liked the sound of this. It did leave room for another Crusader in the future, something he never wanted. But they could always agree on rules and restrictions on power later. And his brother was giving him that look again…that look that pleaded and begged for his support. Finally, Bahamut caved in. He shrugged. "Alright. Let's do it."

"Great!" Wyvern answered. He immediately began to raise a hand. "All those in favor of-"

"Whoa!" Leviathan answered in a stopping gesture. "Hold on! We can't just jump into this. We need time to think about it. It's an important decision. And it's better that we don't all speak our vote out loud. We can make this secret."

"How?" Starlet asked, as Wyvern impatiently dropped his hands.

"Like this." Leviathan answered. Immediately, he drew a symbol in the rock where he sat. Then he went over to Ogopogo and drew another symbol. He moved on to Odin and drew another new symbol. He kept this up and moved all around the circle, putting a symbol for each one. Then, he returned to his place. "There. Each one of those symbols now represents our names. Today, each one of us, at some point, will find a stone piece and write the symbol of who we want on it. Then we'll secretly put all of our stones into the center of this room. When that's done, at the end of the day, we'll read the stones and see who has the most. Alright?"

The other espers thought this over, but all nodded in the end. Even Wyvern gave a nod to that.

"Alright." Bahamut announced. "Let's get our work done for the day."

* * *

It was around noon later in the day. Bahamut had been blasting out another room. They had just fed the kids for 0the afternoon and set them down for their naps. Ogopogo was waving away the drag-ons to keep them from pestering them. But as for Bahamut, he was pausing in his new corridor. He was trying the technique that Starlet had for shaping objects by trying to turn a boulder into a simple tile. However, his own power only managed to make a haphazard, crooked, misshapen block. That only enhanced his unbelief that Leviathan had learned it so quickly. However, he was learning…they all were.

"Hey."

Bahamut turned around at that. At the other end of the new stone walkway, Bahamut saw Wyvern. He sighed in relief. For some reason, he had felt nervous around him. But then, he gave him a nod. "Hello, Wyvern. What's up? Finished that tunnel yet?"

Wyvern bowed his head and swallowed a bit. He held for a brief moment. But then, he suddenly looked up, and began to walk forward to the esper. He didn't stop until he was face to face with him. Bahamut looked puzzled at that, but kept silent as Wyvern looked up. He froze for a moment, not saying anything. But then, he began.

"Bahamut…we've been friends forever, right?"

Bahamut rolled his eyes a bit and gave a playful sigh. "Wyvern, you're not going to bring this up now, are you?"

"It's important!" Wyvern shot back, nearly yelling. Nothing but dead seriousness was in his eyes.

Bahamut looked back to him. He stared tiredly for a moment. But then, he gave a nod. "Yes, we have."

"We've done everything together."

"Yes, we have."

"We even beat Crusader together…in a way."

"…Yes."

Wyvern inhaled sharply for a moment. He looked at his brother hard. Then, in the end, he spoke again. "That's why I wanted this vote, Bahamut. And I want to tell you what I'm going to vote, and I hope you do the same. I'm voting for both of us to be the kings of the espers."

Bahamut blinked, but didn't answer to that. His face was perfectly blank. "Wyvern…"

"Think about it, Bahamut." Wyvern went on. "We're easily the two strongest of all the espers. We have the greatest friendship…the likes of which none of them can even imagine. We found the humans. We made the agreement to save them. It was all our idea and our quest. Odin? He only cares about being a bigger fighter. Starlet? She's baby crazy. And Leviathan and Ogopogo? Please. Those two are the most useless of all."

Bahamut felt himself struck at that. "Leviathan's been a big help…"

"But he's nothing compared to us." Wyvern protested. "Both of us are easily the strongest. We have the power and the drive to get things done. We always have. If it hadn't been for that dare, none of this would have ever happened. They all owe us, or they would just be Crusader's puppets. Now, this world belongs to us."

"It belongs to the humans and every living thing as well."

"Oh, come off that crap, Bahamut." Wyvern waved off. "You know we're the only real concerns here. We're the only real power. We could do whatever we wanted to the humans. And I almost suggest we do. What if some of those idiots keep worshipping Crusader? What if they do what they did to Palad before, only to all the new people? They'll kill them all and go back to worshipping a false god that doesn't even exist. They'll torture themselves for nothing. Do you want that?"

Bahamut paused in response to that. He couldn't answer right away. He inhaled deeply. "…I don't want any humans to die."

"Of course you don't! I don't either. But they're out of control. And none of these others ever really cared for them so long as they could satisfy their own desires. We're the only real ones. Who's going to look after them? Who's going to take care of them?"

"We all agreed not to rule the humans."

"I know, I know…but there's no reason we can't just push them in the right direction. No reason we can't just make their lives a little easier. Bahamut…I'm counting on you for this. You're the only one I ever counted on for anything. I made a big sacrifice back in the fight with Griever so that you could win. Would it hurt you to just do this? And it's not hurting any of us really. It's just giving us more of a say. We deserve this more than anyone. _You_ deserve this more than anyone. So please, come on." He paused a moment, then smiled. "Be a pal, Big B."

Bahamut managed a smile himself at that playful nudge. Wyvern smiled wider at the sight. He seemed to take that as an affirmation. And so, he gave him a pat on the shoulder…a little too rough again, then turned and began to run off back to his work. Bahamut kept smiling as he saw him run away and leave.

But once Wyvern was gone…his look turned to a frown, and his heart filled with anxiety.

* * *

Evening finally came. The espers had all put their stones in at this point…except Ogopogo, who whispered to Leviathan that he didn't remember which one was which. After saying so, he turned back to the tiles and put his own in face down. After that, the espers assembled around the Crystals again. They all sat in their appropriate spots, and Wyvern looked merrier than ever. He leaned back with a happy air, and seemed satisfied with the result. Bahamut, on his part, felt a nervous twist in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what the reaction was going to be in a moment.

Leviathan rose, and slid his way over to the side of the pit. Once he was there, he tiredly looked around. No one had slept in two days now. "Alright, let's get this over with before the babies start crying again." He murmured. With that, he dipped his tail into the pit. Moments later, he drew out the first one and read it.

"Bahamut."

No one reacted, and he put the rock aside. He pulled up another.

"Bahamut and Wyvern."

Wyvern smiled at that, and turned to Bahamut to give him a wink. Bahamut swallowed and didn't look back.

"Bahamut."

Wyvern shifted a little, but kept his smile up.

"Bahamut."

Bahamut bowed his head and sighed deeply.

"Bahamut."

Now, Wyvern began to lick his lips and shift a bit more. His face seemed impatient. Bahamut dreaded his reaction as Leviathan dipped into the pit. Moments later, he came out with the last one, held it in front of him, and read.

"Bahamut."

Wyvern's eyes widened. Bahamut bowed his head more and sighed deeply. His brother turned and looked to Bahamut, then looked back. His face filled with surprise and shock. He hadn't expected this for even a moment. At last, he turned to Leviathan. "Excuse me, I think you misread your own handwriting. I don't think you got mine."

Leviathan bowed down and looked to the rocks for a moment. After a second, however, he grabbed the second one, and held it up to Wyvern. "Is this yours?" He asked.

"Yes…"

"It reads 'Bahamut and Wyvern'. I called it."

Odin snorted a bit with a small grin at this. Wyvern's face turned to surprise.

"It was never a question for me." Ogopogo announced. "Bahamut has the most brains, the most strength, and he's made pretty good decisions so far. Why shouldn't he be the leader?"

"Did you misread any of them?" Wyvern protested, his voice growing curt.

"I didn't, Wyvern." Leviathan simply answered. "Some were rougher than others, but yours is the only one that clearly has two symbols. The others are clearly Bahamut. Bahamut is the new leader."

Wyvern seemed stunned. It was like he had been knocked senseless. He looked around in confusion for a moment, not getting how this could happen. But at last, he looked up to his brother. Bahamut was desperate to look away, but forced himself to stare back. He could at least have the dignity to face him after doing that. He said nothing…only gave Wyvern a look that said he was sorry. At last, Wyvern rose up from his position and looked to Leviathan. "Excuse us." He simply said to him, still looking stunned and frazzled at what had happened. Then, he turned to Bahamut.

The esper didn't need another word. Immediately, he rose to his feet. He began to follow Wyvern as he walked out of the chamber. But honestly, he didn't know what to say. He didn't know how he could explain this. If he didn't want to hurt his brother…he dare not say the truth. But there was no suitable lie for any of this. His brother looked hurt and shocked…even betrayed. It seemed as if nothing else Bahamut had done could have surprised him. Finally, both were out and in the hall. After walking a little bit, Wyvern turned and faced him.

"Bahamut…what were you doing?" He asked, half accusing, half hurt. "What did we talk about earlier? We were going to vote for the both of us."

"I'm sorry, Wyvern…" Bahamut answered, head bowed and still mournful.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Wyvern shot back, nearly making his voice angry. "How could you? We're brothers, Bahamut! We're practically joined at the hip! We're closer than peas in a pod! Yet you just voted for yourself? Why?"

"Wyvern…" Bahamut tried to answer. He tried to think of something, anything. "Wyvern…it has nothing to do with you. Nothing at all. You are my brother. I love you more than anything. It's just…I thought that since you still hadn't learned everything, that it might have been better."

"Better?" Wyvern shot back incredulously. "Then why don't you just let me learn? Teach me. Stop wasting your time with the rest of these bozos." He waved an angry hand at them. "You used to never even like them. I would have been perfectly happy if we had just broken off from them and made our own way…"

"Wyvern, they're our brothers and sisters."

"_You're_ my only brother. They're nothing to me. They never cared about us, so why should I care about them? Why should we have even given them a vote? We can just go in there and declare ourselves the leaders. They can't do anything to stop us. Let's do it…" Wyvern actually turned to walk back in.

Bahamut shot out an arm and stopped Wyvern. The esper wheeled angrily on Bahamut at that, his eyes momentarily filled with fury. "Wyvern, don't."

"Why not!" The esper shot back accusingly. The voice revealed everything. He was forming new opinions in his head about his brother, and none of them were good.

"They have every right to speak as we do." Bahamut answered. "And they did help us beat Griever. But besides all that…Wyvern…" He paused again. He didn't want to say this. It got dangerously close to the truth, and it filled him with terror and coldness. He had to spit it out in the end. "…You can be reckless sometimes." Pause, then immediately an apology. "I mean, it's not your fault. And you're still a great-"

"Reckless?" Wyvern shot back. His face was filling with anger now. "You think I'm reckless! And what of it! You think that would make me a bad leader, don't you! And what, I suppose you think you're just the perfect image of calm? That you are as smooth as butter? That you just have the perfect disposition!" Wyvern's words were biting and hard.

"Wyvern, I never said I was without my faults…"

"Oh, cut it!" Wyvern snapped back. "You think you're better than me, don't you!" He accused viciously.

"Of course I don't!"

"Don't lie! If you thought you weren't, then why'd you just vote for yourself?"

"I told you! I thought I had more experience!"

"Experience!" Wyvern snapped, wheeling around fully to Bahamut. "Experience! What about loyalty! Friendship! Brotherhood! Does all your 'experience' make up for that! Is that so much more precious than snubbing your own best friend…your twin brother!"

"You're being irrational!" Bahamut shot back, his own voice rising. "I don't think any of-"

"Oh, so now I'm irrational, huh!" Wyvern snarled. "I forgot! You think I'm the reckless one. You think that you're perfect and flawless and I'm just the stupid little hot-headed brother, eh?" He angrily shoved Bahamut in the chest at this, pushing him back. Bahamut looked shocked at this. Wyvern had never gone to violence with him. "And with all your new power you don't give a damn about anyone but yourself and your knowledge! Who's acting like Crusader now?"

"Shut up and get ahold of yourself!" Bahamut suddenly screamed, unable to take anymore. Wyvern was actually taken aback at that. He snapped a little back, as Bahamut's face went into a rage. The espers within went silent, and they clamored to the door to look out at them. The babies began to cry, both the espers and drag-ons. "You see! This is what I'm talking about!" He yelled. "You're acting like a big baby! You're putting words into my mouth and you're making me into this big monster! I don't care about my power and my knowledge! I just want what's best for everyone! Maybe you'd see that if you looked past yourself for five minutes! And I don't care to be your brother when you act like this!"

Bahamut was horrified at the words that had escaped his lips. He wished he could take them back immediately. But they were out, and he was too stretched with rage to go soft. Wyvern was acting totally crazy, and he couldn't stand it. He never acted like this before. But it had been a change long coming…and getting worse for months now, ever since they had their new powers. Wyvern stared back in stunned silence. His face went normal and showed nothing. Bahamut's echoes persisted through Terratopolis. But then, in the end, Wyvern did react. His face turned cold, and he shook his head at his brother.

"…Traitor."

With that, Wyvern turned and took off. Bahamut's rage broke, but he was still too petrified to move immediately. It wasn't until Wyvern was nearly down the hall that Bahamut snapped up. He called out to him. "Wyvern!"

Wyvern didn't answer or stop. He kept running. And so, Bahamut took off after him. At full power, he would have easily caught up to him. But at his current state it was hopeless. He was soon wearing himself out as he ran down the hall, struggling to get back to the entrance. He ran and ran, but Wyvern still gained on him, and soon he didn't even see him as he turned the corners. He was soon lost, but Bahamut didn't stop. He ran all the way to the entrance, knowing he was going there. And at last, almost at the end of his puny strength, he burst out through an opening and came into the twilight of the evening, far overhead.

But when Bahamut looked up, he saw he was too late. Wyvern had already taken off, and was now shooting for the opening of the mountain. Bahamut panted and sweat. He couldn't chase after him. He could only stand there. At last, his own pride broke, and he called out to him

"I'm sorry!"

But it was too late for that too. Wyvern either didn't hear or didn't respond. The other espers came out and looked up. But they saw nothing. Wyvern vanished over the rim, and was gone. No one was left, and there wasn't a sound in the sky. The espers stood and stared up, but their brother did not return. He was gone.

Odin frowned, and then turned and went back. Ogopogo looked up ruefully a moment, but then turned and began to go back as well. Starlet lingered, but on hearing the babies crying she left Bahamut and ran back to tend to them. Soon, only Leviathan and Bahamut remained on the field, looking up. There was a long pause between the both of them. Bahamut was frozen. His heart was aching, and fear and hurt was inside him. He would have given anything at that moment to change his vote. If only it would bring his brother back. Wyvern had never done this before, and he never before had seen such a change in him. It was so full of betrayal...and anger.

Finally, Leviathan turned to Bahamut. He gave him a pat on the shoulder, then began to go back in. "He'll be back." He reassured, and then turned and left as well. Bahamut alone was left standing there, staring up at the sky…staring at his lost brother…and feeling his heart ache all the more on the inside.

The 'king' didn't reenter for three days…during which he never looked away from the sky, hoping to see the red wings flying back.

* * *

A seed of evil has been planted...and one day it's fruit will be bitter poison...

To be continued...


	3. Jubilee

_Fifty Years Later_

Birthing time had come again…and a brand new world had come from the days of Griever.

First of all, Wyvern had never returned. Bahamut spent a lot of time during the first ten years looking for him after his strength returned. As it turned out, Bahamut's power was much reduced, but still well above all of the others. He was clearly the strongest one of the five, and would be much stronger than Wyvern too. He had used his power to scour the globe. But he had found nothing. No sign of Wyvern was anywhere. After the ten years, Bahamut decided he had to give him time, although after that long period no one remembered the sting of that night save Bahamut and Wyvern. He went back to his work.

Terratopolis was soon furnished. Starlet had painstakingly went through everywhere, putting in places for sunlight, sculpting the halls, and furnishing everything. Each one had a room to their own needs, and even Slepnir had a stable. Starlet's skill increased with her conjuring ability. She learned so much that she was eventually able to take items from linen reeds and cotton plants among other things, and weave them together to make clothes that actually seemed like their own. Of course, the first thing she had to do was make a new cape for Odin. But she soon discovered that the cocoons of a certain caterpillar make a much softer, smoother set of garments for herself.

The Crystals had been scattered throughout the world, each in the type of place Bahamut wanted. In the end, as king, he did make the decisions where they went. The world was recovering nicely now. Saplings had grown of broadleafs and hardwoods. Smaller plants were all over now. Everything was flourishing again. Even their old battlefield with the Fiends was overgrowing again. The Crystals only helped. The extreme south and north were still cold, but the Crystal of Fire made a habitable area to the far north. The Crystal of Water turned a desert into a lush seabed. The Crystal of Air turned a dead region into a healthful countryside. The Crystal of Earth turned a salty waste into a rich forest…full of fully grown trees that had done in fifty years what took generations. The world was at peace.

…Somewhat.

The humans stuck together for exactly three weeks. But then, the first division occurred. A group refused to believe Griever was dead, and that the idol was a trick. They went off and formed their own town apart from the others. But among the others, there was a growing number of individuals who not only respected the espers…they wanted to worship them. Palad kept quelling this, but eventually they wouldn't listen to him either. They grew so strong that even though Palad had been the only one who really interacted with them, they called him a blasphemer and moved away to form their own town as well. So now, the humans had three cities.

Aside from that, they had been proliferative. Their numbers had tripled. Palad's group and the esper worshipping group soon developed their own technologies. Everyone there had taken up wearing animal skins within a year. That enhanced survivability incredibly, as did hunting with weapons now. The two societies mastered fire of their own, further defending them from animals and cooking their food. Thanks to Palad's herbal remedies, they began to blossom even more than ever. What more, thanks to the feathers of Phoenix that he had, even serious wounds could be recovered in his town. From time to time, the feathers showed up in other towns, and they began to use them as well. Palad's town initially settled in caves, as the others had. But now, Palad's group experimented with cutting wood into strips, setting it up, and then covering it with hides to make smaller, more portable, warmer houses. For twenty-five years the Griever group refused this. But in the end…they too began to wear pants. They also moved more south, despite what Griever had used to forbid them, to warmer areas. So all in all, they were doing somewhat better.

The group had continued to practice their abilities, trying to learn more. Leviathan, after three months, finally learned his Omniapex, the Tsunami. He could now summon a giant deluge himself. But he hadn't been satisfied. After learning this move, and unveiling all his knowledge, he quickly began to desire to learn more. He scrambled around the world in all his free time, seeing things and learning things new every day. He learned what types of flowers there were, what fruits tasted like, how certain insects landed on other things, and began to speculate about the nature of the Planet. It eventually became too hard for him to remember it all, so he even built a new chamber in Terratopolis, and there he began to place tablets made out of clay that were covered with figures like he had made earlier. Each figure represented a word, and Leviathan was such able to record things.

Odin was next to reach his Omniapex after two years. It turned out it wasn't much. Apparently, like Phoenix, he too had realized his Omniapex from birth. His Zantetsuken attack seemed to be all he needed, along with his Gunge Lance. However, they did increase in power, and Odin trained himself endlessly. He soon bypassed Leviathan as the second strongest esper, but not satisfied he always pushed himself harder. He seemed to treat Bahamut with disdain sometimes…seeming to envy or dislike him…

Starlet reached her Omniapex afterward after ten years. However, no one was sure what it was. Starlet simply had a great deal of powers available to her. Every so often, she revealed another one. Once in a while, one of the esper children would bump their heads and get a bruise. Starlet would wave her hand over it, and it would heal with barely any energy drain on her part. Likewise, she was able to put down poison, cure eye infections, and do any other cure imaginable. She could even extend her curing powers over all. Still, no one knew the limit of her power. But Bahamut thought he had a good idea. One night, he saw her step out, and fire an immense beam of pure radiant energy into the sky. She called the attack Holy, but he kept the matter to himself.

Not for a full thirty years did Ogopogo learn his Omniapex, which was the same as Leviathan's. He lagged behind the others more with each passing year. He seemed to always be behind them, and needed constant help to reach the level of the others. Leviathan helped him out a lot…but something else was going on. In addition to Ogopogo, Leviathan had begun to form a friendship with Bahamut. Their ordeals against Griever, where they had to work together so much, had formed a bond between the two of them. Now, both regarded the other with respect, and seemed to greet the other with great smiles and nods all the time. They seemed to only get closer as time went by. Bahamut was about the only one who seemed interested in Leviathan's work…for the moment. And Leviathan constantly gave Bahamut advice…as it seemed clearer and clearer that Leviathan, not Bahamut, was becoming the wisest esper.

Then there were the kids.

The esper children grew at a very slow rate. Fifty years later, they were only at the edge of their "tweens" mentally and physically. The drag-ons, which had been shortened to dragons, were a different story. They grew up in twenty years, and by the twenty-first bid the espers farewell and went out on their own. Soon, they too began to breed. But they weren't alone. Apparently, Bahamut's other offspring began to show up…and they didn't like the new ones. There had been reports of constant scuffles between the two…and even a story of a red one attacking and murdering a human. But other than that, they were fine.

Ifrit was a troublemaker. His mane had filled in and he had teethed, and his horns were growing longer and extending behind him. He was always running around, beating on the others and making them cry. He constantly got into things, and was frequently punished for all that he did. He was indeed a big hothead. His favorite instrument of torture was Shiva. She was maturing into a young lady as well, and wore her hair tied back now. She was cool, calm, and always reserved. But when Ifrit teased her, she flew into a rage and punished him back just as bad. Strangely enough, as both grew older, they grew hotter and colder respectively. But they always seemed to cancel each other out when they touched, so soon only they could bear to touch one another.

Ramuh was a naturalist. His poor head remained totally bald, but his eyebrows had only grown longer and bushier. He liked to go out frequently and play among the plants outside. Inside still had some work to do. Although the trees were growing and slowly breaking the rock down, it was still quite a while before it would be fertile enough. On the other hand, the treefrom Terratopolis was already above full grown, and larger around than any of the espers. It shed fruit continuously, and many of them fell to the ground and made flowers. These flowers broke away the ground below as well to make more soil, but never seemed to get to be more than flowers. Bahamut, in truth, was surprised that a tree had arisen at all. But Ramuh liked it. He constantly played around it and napped against it.

Titan…was special. His chubbiness had vanished only to be replaced by ever-growing muscle, which he was now ripped with. Already he was very strong, but he was also very slow and moved only gradually. His hair was covered with dirty blond hair as well. Titan tried hard to do the right things…but his mentality was reduced compared to the others. He always made bad choices or stupid decisions, and no matter how many times he was told to do something he couldn't get it right sometimes, or would forget it the next day. He needed constant supervision, which was why Leviathan employed him to dig up clay for his tablets. He enjoyed this, especially the part about playing in the mud, and did it until Leviathan had more than he'd ever need.

Palidor became Starlet's little Phoenix. She always doted about her mother. As she grew, splendid pink and white feathers filled in around the esper, and she had grown very beautiful and magnificent. Starlet loved to do nothing more than groom her and play silly games with her all day. Apparently, Starlet was still rather flighty, and so was her daughter. But she was never flighty to Odin again…

Not after his son was born.

Gilgamesh was technically the youngest of them all though they all looked roughly the same age. Odin refused Starlet to console him or baby him like the others. He immediately took his son into his own chambers after he was born, where he made him sleep every night on the hard ground, uncovered, and made him suffer through the cold. He yelled at him to shut up when he cried, and made him eat food too hard for him at a young age. When he could walk, he immediately forced him to constantly work out and train for battle. As he grew older yet, he subjected him to his own training, never being afraid to beat him around or break something of the small boy's.

Gilgamesh didn't share in his father's roughness. His skin was pale and had red lines on it, he had four arms, and his eyes were pure white, but other than that he looked like a normal boy. A look of fear and regret was always on his face when he had to go train with his father. He always looked dejected and hurt when they were done. He didn't smile at all for his first few years, always hating to hoist his stone sword and protesting that he didn't want to train. But his father never let him, and trained him all the harder. He seemed obsessed with making Gilgamesh stronger than anyone. But Gilgamesh never cared for any of it.

What Gilgamesh did like was Leviathan's work. From the day he entered Leviathan's growing library, he was amazed with it. He asked Leviathan about everything, and the sea serpent was pleased to have someone so interested in his activities. He held back nothing from the boy, and the more he asked the more the esper wanted to know. Soon, Gilgamesh spent all his free time helping Leviathan with his work or reading his books. He was the first esper to learn how to read Leviathan's language, and he loved to do it more than anything. His favorite was to recall Leviathan's own historical account of the fight with Griever and the Four Fiends. He went with Leviathan out to the forests and grassland all the time, collecting his own specimens and writing his own books.

Odin hated this in Gilgamesh, and warned him not to waste time with Leviathan. But Gilgamesh had bowed too much with his father. He wouldn't bow to this. He still trained, but he continued to go out and learn with Leviathan non-stop. He wouldn't give it up. And so Odin let him. But in the meantime, he planned for the espers to meet together…and wanted the big five to make a special item for him.

That was the present situation as Bahamut looked out over Terratopolis' interior. He looked out from an opening high above the ground below. There, he saw the river and the green plants that now covered it. He beamed down on the sight. Ifrit was running around chasing Shiva as always. Ramuh rested under the tree and ate a fruit. Titan was laughing as he picked up huge rocks and hurled them into the water. Palidor was sitting with Starlet sipping a drink she had invented called "tea". All in all, the espers didn't look much older. Their aging had slowed as well. But now, they did look like fully grown young adults and no longer teens. The sun was shining, and birds that had moved in flew around in the sky within the mountain. All in all, Bahamut was very pleased.

That was why his big event was going to be a big success.

He turned and began to walk inside again. The meeting would happen soon, and he couldn't wait to give the news.

* * *

"Well guys, it's been fifty years. Time for another birthing."

The others gave their ascent in the small chamber. It had been refurnished somewhat. A representative crystal was now mounted in the center. Cushioned chairs had been made for the espers. The whole wall was smooth. But they still had a tablet for each one of their names. And Bahamut made sure to always keep one tablet there, even when Odin said to be done with it. Wyvern's place still remained no matter what.

"How time flies…" Ogopogo mused.

"It seems I had just weaned Titan yesterday…" Starlet sighed.

"That brick of an esper probably _was_ weaned yesterday." Odin darkly answered.

Starlet looked angrily at him…much more than the playful anger from before. She never forgave Odin for what he did to Gilgamesh. Later in life, she tried to be kind to the esper…but her son didn't recognize her, and he didn't know how to respond to that kind of love. He had already been changed into something else, and Starlet had hated that. Her baby had been nearly snatched from the womb, and she wouldn't ever forget that Odin had done that to her.

"I actually have a few special events planned this time around." Bahamut continued. "But Leviathan will know more about that then I do." Here, he gestured to the esper. "Leviathan."

The sea serpent immediately rose. Before him, he held a tablet, with things he called "notes" on them. They helped him remember what to say, though the group couldn't understand how he could get anything out of his symbols. However, Leviathan was very enthusiastic as he spoke up about his items.

"As some of you may know already, I made an exciting finding five years ago on one of my scouts. It seemed as if humans were not the only intelligent creatures that survived the great deluge."

The espers that didn't know reacted to this. They looked to each other in amazement. Ogopogo mouthed to Starlet whether she had known this, but Starlet merely shrugged in response. Everyone was very pleased to hear the news. They all listened more intently as they heard the words of Leviathan.

"The group that I encountered, which called themselves 'elves', claimed they had put themselves in suspended animation years ago when Griever arrived, and his winter had killed their trees. They were forced to go into hiding to escape him. But when he was destroyed, and the sun and life returned, they woke up and resumed their former way of life. They looked to be entirely dependant on plants for their way of life, both in dwelling and in clothing and food."

Starlet smiled at this.

"Furthermore, they directed me to another race. These ones called themselves 'dwarves'. They lived in the ground and had luminescent orbs for eyes…"

"Lumi-what?"

"…They glowed."

"Oh."

"…and long beards, even the females. They made their living on metals and stones in the ground, and seemed to be capable of making swords the like of Odin's. They too had hid in the ground from the wrath of Griever while it waged, and only broke the surface after it had perished. Both of these races were far more advanced in technology than the humans.

"I tried to find Cetra examples after this, but found nothing. I did find numerous sub-races that seemed more primal and below the humans at this time. However, I also found another item. Apparently, thereis another flying island as well on this world."

On hearing that, the espers looked extremely intrigued. Bahamut leaned in and was covered with curiousity. He listened intently to the next part as Leviathan continued, the whole room seeming to have gone quiet.

"These people were the most advanced by far, having technologies I couldn't even guess the use for. They seemed very surprised to see me. However, they said that they had been studying this world for some fifteen years, and were 'researchers' who were investigating the Planet and its life forms and actually came from another world far, far away in space. Interestingly enough, they seemed to have a different language entirely that I was only able to pick up by reading their minds directly."

Leviathan put his notes down at this, and sat down again afterward. The room was silent, but was surprised to hear all this. They didn't know anything about these races. But suddenly, there were a lot more on the world than they had thought. On one hand, it was great to know that there were more. But on the other, it filled them all with confusion and uncertainty. However, once Leviathan had finished, Bahamut readily spoke up again in response.

"I am interested in learning more about these races, and in having a sharing of knowledge among ourselves." Bahamut continued. "Because of this, during this first anniversary of the birthing, I am inviting representatives of the four races here…humans, elves, dwarves, and these strange visitors, along with all the dragons that will attend. And to further celebrate this coming together of our peoples…I am holding a thing I like to call a 'tournament'."

The espers looked puzzled at this. They turned to each other and shrugged to one another for a moment, before turning back to Bahamut, who explained. "This tournament is to be held between our six children. I will build a ring and put it in the midst of the main courtyard. Tomorrow, when the birthing day begins, we will start by having a friendly competition between our children. They will enter the ring two at a time and battle with each other. The winner advances to the next round. This will go on until we have one winner over them all."

Most of the espers looked skeptical at this idea.

"Bahamut…do you really want our kids to be beating their brains out?" Starlet asked.

Bahamut waved it away. "Don't worry. It's just a small competition. It's nothing serious. Besides, we've all been asking each other who we think is the strongest esper. This will decide it."

"But I'm not sure if my kids want to fight…" Leviathan protested.

"Pheh. Your kids always look for an excuse to fight." Odin grumpily replied. "Only one problem, Bahamut. There's only six of our children. There won't be an even number of matches."

"I have that figured out." Bahamut answered. "They'll be a drawing of six balls. Four blue, two red. Whoever picks the red balls gets to bypass the first round."

Odin hesitated a moment after that, but then shrugged. "Why not? I'm game. I'd like to see my son in a real fight."

"Well, I don't!" Starlet protested. "There's no reason for them to fight like this!"

"Well…" Leviathan answered with a shrug. "Maybe it will teach them not to. Or they'll be sore enough to stop fighting for a while. And we can really see what they can do at last…"

"Ugh!" Starlet yelled. "Fine. Have your children slaughter each other. The only reason I'll be watching this silly tournament is to make sure none of the kids die!" Leviathan cringed a bit at Starlet's biting rebuttle, and he didn't say anymore. However, that now meant that the matter was settled. Everyone was consenting.

"Alright." Bahamut answered with finality. "See you guys tomorrow."

* * *

The first two kids took the news rather well. Walking home that night, Ifrit couldn't resist boasting to Shiva about the coming attraction.

"Alright! Now no one will stop me when I push your face in the mud!" Ifrit's canine face snapped at Shiva.

The girl stuck her tongue out in reply. "Now everyone will see you cry after I beat you up." She retorted.

"You never beat me up!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not…"

"I'm not too big on this fighting thing…" Ramuh mused to himself as he leaned against his tree. He had just heard the news, and was a bit tense about it. He scratched his chin nervously, but in the end shrugged. "But then again…I'd really like to humiliate Ifrit for all those times he's tugged on my eyebrows." He turned his head a bit to the side. "What do you think about this fight, Titan?"

"Titan love fight!" The behemoth of an esper responded…as he raised a giant boulder over his head. He turned around and grinned sinisterly at Ramuh. "Titan crush brothers!"

"No Titan! Not today! Tomorrow! Tomorrow!"

* * *

"Now, you know you don't have to fight if you don't want to." Starlet spoke as he brushed Palidor's feathers that evening. "I'm not for any of this roughhousing…"

"Mom…" Palidor whined. "If I don't fight and everyone else does, they'll say I'm a wimp."

"Who cares what they say?"

"Mom…it's no big deal. I can beat them up." She paused a moment, and grinned a bit. "After all, you're my mother. You taught me all about hidden tricks."

Starlet paused at that, and she looked down at Palidor. She saw her smile, and after a moment Starlet began to smile as well. She knew that look all too well. "Well…maybe a little fight wouldn't be that bad…"

* * *

"This is your chance, boy."

"…"

"I have a special gift to give you tomorrow. Use it well."

"…"

"Look at me and stop moping."

Gilgamesh slowly looked up to Odin. The room was a bit furnished, but it was still rough and bare…the only room not sculpted in the mountain. The dark warrior esper glared down at him. Gilgamesh hated that look. He hated what it meant. Most of all…he hated that his father didn't respect him. He was always calling him weak and a failure. He was always getting on him for not being stronger. It was because of all this that Gilgamesh was eager to fight for once. If he could beat the others, maybe his dad would respect him.

Maybe…he would love him.

"Now, are you going to win tomorrow?"

"Yes sir."

"Don't disappoint me."

"I won't, sir."

"Good. Now go to bed. You need to be at your best tomorrow."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Bahamut was up with the dawn. As before, he moved over to the opening that overlooked the courtyard below. This had a stone railing made on it now, and banners hung from it splendid with colors that Starlet had woven. The rest of the field below was decorated with flowers, and everything was made up nice and wonderful. In the center, Bahamut's ring stood, a square of tiles with a rim around it, and plenty of places to sit all around. As he rose to this sight, full of happiness and enthusiasm, he saw that guests were already coming in. The other espers joined him in time, but only very slowly.

The dragons were first. They all flew in pairs, two by two. There were many of them now. They had huge clutches of eggs. All of the metallic colors shone brightly. Still, Bahamut felt a pain in his heart on seeing them. He had hoped that some of the other dragons, which he heard were brightly colored, would come and stand with their breathren. They were, after all, his children too. Already, they looked more mature than Bahamut did. They had a regal look on them, and they gracefully bowed before their king and father. Bahamut blushed a bit in response, but managed his own nod.

The elves came next. They rode on the backs of silver dragons. There were eight of them in all. They were dressed in green linens, tight fitting and close to their bodies. They bore strange items on them. Shafts of wood bent back by strings, and plumes in small containers on their backs. They too entered and gracefully bowed to Bahamut, making the esper blush a little. After this, the dwarves came next, riding on bronze dragons. There were ten of them all together. They were as odd as Leviathan had described. They were like little beards and blond hairs arranged around dark spaces with yellow, beady eyes. Their heads were topped with horns from some animal Bahamut hadn't encountered, and they all welded axes made of real metal. They bowed to Bahamut too. Now, the esper was growing rather uncomfortable. These people were treating him like he was their king. Never had he had to deal with that with his family.

A strange sight came next, one that puzzled all there no matter how advanced or strong. A great black shape seemed to move across the sun and blot it out. Bahamut and the others looked up at it, and soon saw a strange thing descending. It looked to be made out of wood, only not rough but smooth and arranged together. But as it continued to descend, it appeared to be made out of metal as well. Metal pieces were turning and clicking and moving all over the top of it. But above it all, great posts were put up made of metal, and multiple sheets of metal were arranged around them. They spun rapidly, seeming to somehow hold the great bulk up. Everyone was amazed at this newest sight. No one said a word, and all were quite taken. The great item landed on the ground. When it did, the metal stopped turning, and a part of the wood suddenly fell open from the side of the ship, landing on the ground afterward. Moments later, strange people began to come out, to the surprise of all…some of them thinking the great thing was actually alive. Six of these people came out together. Bahamut saw that they looked like humans somewhat…but their faces were perfectly clean. Their hair was washed and tied back. Their clothes were unblemished and smooth, and gleamed an unnatural blue. They were long and flowing, unlike any other clothes Bahamut had seen before. What more, they had some knowledge on them that the humans couldn't dream of. They also had some sort of unnatural air about them. Bahamut tried to pick up thoughts from them…only realizing to his surprise that he couldn't. Either they were on a totally different wavelength than the Planet…

Or they were shielding themselves…

The esper descended at this, coming in and walking down the tunnels until he reached the bottom level, then exited onto the field and came out to meet these strangers personally. He arrived just as they walked forward to him. They both met on the field, and there they stopped. One of them came forward and went before Bahamut. He had that same confident, knowledgeable look on his face. It was so potent, in fact…it upset the esper a little.

"The great Lord Bahamut." The man addressed. He gracefully bowed before him afterward. While his head was still down, he spoke again. "I have long waited to see the being that defeated the monstrosity known as Griever. We are Lufenians, the Sky People."

Bahamut returned the bow. "You are most welcome."

The Lufenian raised again, gave Bahamut another smile, then turned and walked away with the others to join the crowds again. Bahamut would have been more preoccupied with these people, had not the last guests arrived at that moment. He turned his head to the sky, and saw that the gold dragons were descending at last. And with them, they were bringing twelve of Bahamut's favorite race…the human. The Lufenians were forgotten as the dragons all landed one by one, and the people dismounted.

The humans had changed. Their intelligence had grown. Their faces were harder, yet their bones were clothed in more flesh. They wore hides of various animals on them, obviously having not discovered plant fibers yet for their clothing. They carried weapons made out ofbranches and stones, and they actually looked a little barbaric compared to everyone else. But Bahamut greeted them warmly as ever as they dismounted. After doing so, they slowly made their way through the crowds. They did so much slower than before this time, seeming to actually be caught up. The others were much faster in coming to the front. Bahamut wondered at this change, and grew a bit impatient as they passed by everyone and finally broke the front lines.

Then he saw the man in the lead. He looked older and weary, but still getting by somewhat. His leg seemed to have a limp, and there was traces of gray and white throughout his long hair and beard. But there was still a blonde tint to them. His face was haggard and dirty from having gone though much. But his smile was warm and unchanging. He hobbled forward a bit on an old staff decorated with feathers, and he was clothed not only like the others but wore a long fur cape as well, and a helmet made of bone with deer horns on the top of it. Yet from beneath that helmet…Bahamut saw the same eyes…the same eyes that had been so full of life and innocence fifty years ago.

It was Palad.

The old man beamed at Bahamut a moment. But then, supporting himself as best he could…he began to lower his old body down to the ground. He struggled, but didn't stop. He was determined to kneel before Bahamut. Seeing that, the esper couldn't bear it. Immediately, the great esper rushed forward, put his arms around the old man, and pressed him to his chest as he had all those decades ago. Yet while Bahamut had barely changed, Palad had changed greatly. The old man hesitated, but then began to hug back as well.

"My friend…never bow to me." Bahamut instructed softly, tears coming in his eyes.

"…In times of hardship…" The deep, older voice answered from his arms. "I dreamed of the day that this moment would come, Bahamut."

The old friends held for a long time. Bahamut gently patted his back, while Palad merely held, enjoying the feeling he had never forgotten. But in the end, they did part from each other, and went away a few steps. Bahamut beamed down on the old pupil of his. Then, he stepped to one side, and gestured behind himself. There stood the other four espers. They stood in stunned silence a moment. Starlet's eyes filled with tears, and Ogopogo and Leviathan grew misty as well. Then, as one, they all came forward to meet their old friend again. Starlet reached him first, and swept the old man off his feet and twirled him around, just as when he had been a boy. Palad laughed aloud at the idea, a bit amazed that Starlet, all but unchanged, still regarded him as a child. As they all rushed in and greeted him, Bahamut turned to the other humans. All eleven of them bowed immediately to him.

"It is an honor to meet you at last." The lead addressed. "Chief Palad has told us the legend of you for our entire lives."

Bahamut nodded to them. "So, you were born into Palad's tribe?"

The man paused for a moment, then responded. "We are all Palad's sons."

Bahamut's eyes expanded greatly. He could have been knocked over with a feather. He had forgotten that the boy they left was still growing, and could have had a lot of children. By now, he probably had grandchildren. It had been fifty long years… However, he was still happy that he was with them now. He looked to the crowds, and held up his arms to all of them.

"Welcome! Welcome, people of the Planet! Let the festivities begin!"

The crowds had soon mixed, and soon a great clamor was going on among all of them.

* * *

"Are things still going well?"

"As well as can be expected. I don't know what to do about the other tribes. Hopefully, they'll come to their senses one day. There are people among my own who would seek to be hostile…"

"You should give that technique to the humans. You see how all they do is wear animal hides?"

"The elves have always had a policy of non-involvement. That said…there aren't any humans around us or even on our continent."

"You're kidding… You can't be serious."

"Lali-ho! I speak the truth! There's a big underground world, and we've got a big rumor that there was a Dark Crystal down there that mirrored yours. Also rumors say that it broke up and moved around the same time yours did."

"Another Crystal…wow…"

"So…what are you guys studying exactly?"

"We're interested in life patterns and development on this world. We were most interested to make contact with you, however. We heard of numerous races spreading your fame throughout the world. We wanted to see what sort of power you were capable of. I personally am most interested to see this tournament you have planned. I'd like to observe your young in action, if I can't see you at your peak."

"To tell the truth, I'm kind of interested myself. This will be something to remember, at any rate."

After the initial meetings were over, the tournament was scheduled to begin. The groups gathered around the square ring that Bahamut had built. They picked their places and sat, with the shorter humanoids in the front and the taller dragons in the back. The espers had built raised seats for themselves so they could sit at one end all over one side. Bahamut stood in the center with a leather bag containing the balls. There he stood and waited, as the tournament opening ceremonies began.

After a few minutes, the six competitors came out from the opening tunnel. They marched single file toward Bahamut in the middle of the ring. Leviathan cheered them on. Starlet called out for Palidor not to get hurt. Odin said nothing. However, he kept a wooden case with him, and eagerly tapped it while waiting for the children. Finally, they were all in the ring. Once there, they all lined up before Bahamut and halted. The crowd went quiet. Everyone focused on the children, and waited patiently.

Bahamut held the bag out to the first one in line, Ifrit, and called out to the others. "We will now draw to determine the fighting order." He announced to the crowd around him. With that, he looked to Ifrit and opened the bag wider.

Ifrit held for a moment, but then reached forward and dipped his claw into the bag. He fished around for a moment, but then pulled out a blue ball with a symbol. Bahamut nodded to him, and then the esper moved to one side. Shiva moved up next afterward. She dipped her hand inside fished around, and then pulled out a red ball.

"You're fighting in the second round." Bahamut told the girl. The other kid espers frowned and cursed at their bad luck. Shiva said nothing. She calmly stepped to one side, and Ramuh came forward next. He reached into the bag as well, dug around a moment, and then pulled out anotherblue ball. However, it didn't match Ifrit's. He stood to one side as well, sighing in relief that he wasn't fighting the bully of the group. That soon changed, however. For Titan walked up next, and he pulled out the matching ball.

"Second match, Ramuh vs. Titan." Bahamut announced. Ramuh swallowed as he looked to his big brother. Titan grinned enthusiastically, and clapped his hands in delight. Ramuh dropped a few beads of sweat, and stood still. After Bahamut reminded Titan that he had to stand with the others, he soon did so, and the others had to stop Titan from fighting with Ramuh that instant. Gilgamesh stepped up afterward. He reached down into the bag, and after grabbing one he ended up pulling out a red ball.

"You're in the second round too, Gilgamesh." Bahamut responded. Gilgamesh patiently walked to one side. Finally, Bahamut put the bag down. It seemed Palidor wouldn't get to draw, as the conclusion was already forseen. Palidor joined the others. "First match, Ifrit vs. Palidor. Everyone else, get on the sidelines and we'll get started."

Palidor swallowed a little. Truth be told, she was nervous. Ifrit was a fearsome looking fellow, and he had always teased her a lot. She tried to focus on that aspect, and thought of wanting revenge for all of his tricks. Ifrit himself grinned widely, beaming his sharp teeth at her. Bahamut went off the field and returned to his head, then turned and prepared to watch. As for the other espers, they sat down on the sidelines and turned to watch the ensuing fight. As for Palidor and Ifrit, they moved on to each end of the ring, and then stood and faced each other. Palidor exhaled nervously. She trembled and began to sweat, thinking this wasn't a good idea. Ifrit burned with enthusiasm. The crowds were still silent, and focused in on the fight.

"Say your prayers, Palidor." Ifrit mocked.

Palidor swallowed in reply, but refused to give up then. She kept focusing and didn't move, ready to fight this through.

"Alright, here's the rules." Bahamut announced. "Either fall out of the ring, give up, or stay down for the count of ten. Begin on my mark." Bahamut held his hand in the air at that. "Three…"

Ifrit held up his claws. He grinned wickedly, and sneered at Palidor. Palidor swallowed, but unfurled her own wings.

"Two…"

Ifrit's eyes burned with merriment for battle. Palidor focused and showed nothing.

"One…go!"

Immediately, Ifrit took off. He was so full of power that heat clouded around his mouth. It poured forth and rippled the air, nearly turning it into flame. He charged forward, gnashing his terrible teeth and casting his horns one way and the other. Palidor stared at him, frozen in shock. He was so full of ferocity and terror that she could barely move.But then, right as it was about to hit Palidor…the great bird suddenly shot into the air, and flew toward the sky. The fiery esper sailed right underneath her feet…and soon had to grind himself to a halt. He nearly fell out of the ring right off the bat. However, he did manage to halt himself right at the edge. He panned forward and waved his arms around, struggling to stop his body and keep himself from falling off. He wavered and spun, but finally stopped himself. He leaned back into the ring, and turned around to the sky angrily. He saw Palidor flying overhead.

"Hey!" He angrily called. "That's cheating!"

"Says you!" Palidor called back down. "I can fly if I want!"

Ifrit grit his teeth. He jumped in the air and swung his claw at Palidor, but the esper merely rose a bit. Scowling, he jumped up a few more times, but failed to touch the esper. She was simply too high for him.

"Ha ha!" She mocked, then stuck her tongue out at him.

Ifrit grit his teeth in anger. He quivered and held for a few moments. But then, at last, he smiled instead. He held up one of his hands, and opened the palm. After that, he focused for a few moments. Seeing this, the other espers were intrigued, leaning inward and trying to see what was going on. But Bahamut began to realize already. He felt the words run in Ifrit's head. As he did…lines of heat and red light began to gather in. They all seeped into a single point, and the heat grew and built stronger and hotter. The air waved, and it began to glow. At last, a ball of fire suddenly came into Ifrit's hands. Palidor gaped in reply, while Ifrit snickered.

"Time to heat things up! Pyro!" He called, as he swung his hand forward at Palidor. Immediately, the ball of fire was thrown out and headed straight for Palidor. The bird gaped. She stared in shock, and didn't move in response. She just stared as the ball headed straight for her. But then, just as it was about to hit…Palidor abruptly vanished into thin air. The ball of fire shot through where she had been, and then erupted into nothingness.

Ifrit stared back in surprise. He was shocked at the sudden disappearance. He looked around in confusion for a moment, trying to see where Palidor was. Then, he heard a mocking cry.

"Up here!"

Ifrit looked up, just in time to see Palidor dive straight down at him and strike him on the head with her curled feet. The blow was strong, and Ifrit let out a cry as he felt the powerful blow strike him. He grunted, however, and swung at her again. But Palidor quickly went into the sky once more and flew out of the way. Ifrit's hand hit nothing. Palidor quickly pulled up more and laughed down at him.

"Give it up, Ifrit!" She called down. "You can't get me!"

Ifrit scowled again in reply. He held for a moment. However, an idea was already forming in his mind.Abruptly, he fell down to the ground. He dug his claws into the floor, and began to pull up the tile beneath him. He grabbed it, and focused his strength for a moment. Then, in a flash, he pulled up and threw the huge piece of tile right at Palidor.

The bird gaped at this new blow, much faster than the past one. She had to dodge this time, and quickly flew back to avoid the piece of debris. That, however, was what Ifrit wanted. After throwing the tile, Ifrit quickly leapt into the air behind it, shooting over and beyond her. As she went back, Ifrit came down from his jump, and began to fall down on Palidor. The bird esper looked up just in time to see Ifrit bring both of his clawed hands down. The blow was strong and powerful, and soon sent the bird esper flying down, toward the exit of the ring.

Ifrit quickly fell to the ground and landed on his feet, and he eagerly awaited Palidor to fall out. She was sailing straight for the edge of the ring. It seemed as if victory was assured for the fire esper. However, just as she was about to go out, abruptly the esper swung around and flapped her wings again. She quickly flew up and back into the air again, and spun around to face Ifrit. She looked a bit dizzy and pained, but still flew on.

"Sorry, Ifrit…" She answered a bit wearily. "But…it'll take more than that."

Ifrit frowned in reply, snapping his fingers in irritation. "Nuts…"

After that, Palidor smiled again. "Alright…now it's my turn. Get ready!"

In a flash, Palidor abruptly vanished again. Ifrit knew what was happening this time. He knew that she was going to try her jumping attack again. Ifrit paused at that. He tried to think of what to do…what would be the best counter-offensive. He thought of nothing immediately, but then an idea came to his mind. He waited afterward, waited for a few precious moments to go by. He held and thought of the timing…when Palidor would strike. Then, at last, based mostly on luck, he suddenly leapt backward.

A moment later, Palidor fell to the ground, narrowly missing the fire esper. Her legs smashed down onto the stone tiles instead. There was a hard knocking, but no sound of breaking. Still, the impact was hard, and Palidor yelped in pain. After that, Ifrit beamed in happiness.

"You lose!" He chirped. Then, he immediately dashed forward with his head out. He smashed into Palidor's back with all the strength he could muster. Palidor soon cried out again, this time as the power of Ifrit smashed into her and sent her flying back. There was so much force this time that she couldn't recover. She arched back and was thrown out of the ring all together. At the last moment, she tried to fly again, but it was too late. She fell forward and struck the ground outside the ring. On doing that, she didn't bother to keep struggling. She let herself fall and slumped into a heap outside the ring.

"Palidor is out of the ring!" Bahamut called. "Ifrit is the winner!"

There was applause from the crowd that had assembled. Ifrit grinned, and bowed to the group around the ring. Palidor slowly got up to her feet, frowning at her loss. In the end, she was still upset that she had fallen out of the ring, and all due to a slight miscalculation on her part. She rushed over to her mother on the side of the ring. She soon reached her and crawled over to her lap. Starlet responded by extending her hand and patting her head reassuredly. In truth, Starlet was simply happy that Palidor hadn't gotten any more beaten up. She and the rest of the espers were astonished that Ifrit and Palidor had already learned some of their new abilities without any help from the adults. This was turning out to be interesting. There was no telling what the others would do.

Bahamut was finding the tournament very agreeable. Immediately, he leaned back and motioned on for the next match. "Ramuh! Titan! Step up for your match!"

Ramuh swallowed deeply. Titan grinned, and stood up with a look of enthusiasm. He readily hopped out onto his side of the field. Once there, he pranced around eagerly and clapped his hands. Ramuh was much slower. He only nervously stepped out onto the field, remembering how he had nearly been crushed yesterday by Titan's pre-game enthusiasm. He hated to see what would happen to him now.Once hewas on his side, he swallowed and licked his lips. He looked up to Titan, who had now gone to beating his chest in excitement. Ramuh trembled and quivered. His life flashed before his eyes. His battle stance was him somewhat hunched over and cringing before the hulking humanoid in front of him.

"G-g-go easy on me…Titan…"

"On my mark! Three…two…one…go!"

Ramuh shut his eyes and covered his head, immediately expecting a body slam at least from Titan. He held like that a moment, expecting something horrible and bad for the longest time. However…nothing came. He hesitated a bit longer, but then suddenly opened his eyes, looking around to see if any monster was coming. But there was none. He opened them wider, and looked down to the end of the field.

Titan hadn't budged. He was still beating his chest with a happy look, seeming to be enjoying that. "Titan fight!" He yelled in happiness.

Ramuh stood in stunned silence. The rest of the crowd was much the same, staring at the sight and wondering what was going on. But Titan didn't move. He continued to beat his chest and look merry. A few people began to chuckle at this. Bahamut blushed a little, and called out into the ring. "Uh…Titan? You have to go and fight Ramuh."

"Titan fight!" Titan answered, and continued to prance around. Ramuh blinked in astonishment, not knowing what he should do. Should he attack? He wasn't too keen on that. Titan was a mountain of an esper.

"What are you waiting for, Ramuh? Go get him!" Ogopogo called.

Ramuh turned white and swallowed, shaking his head. "No way! Let him come first!"

"Titan! Get out there!" Ogopogo responded.

"Titan fight!" He laughed, still beating his chest.

Leviathan sighed and shook his head. Then, he craned his neck up, and spoke out clearly and calmly to his son. "Titan…if you want to fight, you have to go and push Ramuh out of the ring. Go to Ramuh, Titan. Go…go to Ramuh. Go to Ramuh."

On hearing this, however, Titan stopped. His look went to confusion instead. He turned and looked around to Leviathan, and saw him talking to him. "Daddy?" He asked in puzzlement. At that, he turned his whole body around, and began to walk toward him.

"No!" Leviathan immediately called, as the other espers waved their hands as well. "No! Don't come here! Stay in the ring! Stay in the-"

Leviathan sighed in the end, bowing his head in frustration. It was too late. Titan had walked right out of the ring, and now stood before the adult espers. He looked at them inquisitively, wondering what all of this meant. His stare was perfectly innocent. Ramuh was even more astonished than before. He looked at himself, and realized that he had just won the fight without throwing a punch.

Bahamut rubbed his temples, and half-heartedly made it official. "Titan loses by ring out. Ramuh is the winner."

"Huh?" Ramuh responded, not knowing how to take this. But it only confirmed his thoughts. Abruptly, he smiled, and threw his hands up in a cheer. "I win! I won the match! And it was easier than I thought!" He beamed. However, his face suddenly turned dark afterward. "But…my next opponent is Ifrit…" Instantly, Ramuh's joy turned into terror. Trembling and quivering, he turned and began to walk out of the ring.

Titan, on the other hand, scratched his tiny head. "Titan lose?" He asked in disbelief.

"Don't worry, Titan." Starlet reassured. "You did very well. Didn't he?"

The other espers gave their customary half-hearted ascensions to Titan's screw ups. They moaned yeses and nods and approvals. Odin alone snorted and shook his head.

"Blockhead."

Titanmerely smiled at all of them nodding at him, then he turned around and sat on the edge of the ring to watch the next fight. Bahamut regarded the whole thing as a pity. Slow as Titan was, he was incredibly powerful. He had been betting on him winning. But now, they didn't even get to see him fight. Oh well…perhaps the espers were still too young. In the end, Bahamut called out the next combatants.

"Shiva! Gilgamesh! Step up for your match!"

* * *

To be continued...


	4. Facade

The four-armed boy esper rose from his spot. His face was cold and hard. He was ready to go, if this would make his father respect him. If this was the only way, then he refused to lose. However, he had only begun to step to the ring when a voice called out.

"Gilgamesh."

The esper turned to the sound of the voice. When he did, he saw that Odin had left his seat, and was rushing over to him. Once he had reached him, he immediately extended the wooden case in front of his body and held it out to the lad. "Here." He said. "Open it."

Gilgamesh immediately did what he was told. He reached over and undid the latches of the box, and then opened it. When he did, he froze for a moment in surprise. Inside, a blade gleamed like a flame from the sun. It was long and broad, ebbing with power and force. It shone so pure that Gilgamesh could see his face in it. It was flawless. The edge was perfect, and hilt was perfect…everything about it was perfect. And it had so much strength that Gilgamesh almostthought he could feel an aura radiating off of the gleaming golden surface. He gaped at the sight, and looked down over it.

"This…"

"Is yours." Odin finished. "Ragnarok…blade of the espers. When your mother was pregnant with you, we all ran a trial to make this blade. The five of us were gathered already, but we also managed to get some power from Phoenix's magicite. Bahamut still had some of Wyvern's power in himself, and even a bit of Crusader's was still there. And so…all eight of us combined parts of our power together to make this blade. Look at it."

Gilgamesh did as he was told. As he looked he saw runes in it. Being one of the only ones who could read it, he saw that the symbol for each of the first eight espers was written into it. Gilgamesh was amazed at such a blade. He didn't know what to say.

"Take it."

Gilgamesh swallowed, but then reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword. He immediately pulled it out. Big as it was, it was as light as a feather. He easily held it up and let it gleam in the light for all to see. The crowds saw it as well, and they marveled at the sight. Gilgamesh couldn't believe it. It was a great gift. "Father…"

"You're worth it, my son." Odin continued. "This is a symbol. Today, I give you all faith. All of the work I put into you I entrust to you today. I have great expectations for you. And I wish to see you fulfill them. Today, you become a man. Today you prove yourself as the strongest of all espers. This is the beginning of your ascension, Gilgamesh. One day…you shall be king of the espers."

Gilgamesh swallowed in reply. That was a lot on his shoulders. However, he managed a nod. "I…won't let you down, father."

Odin said nothing reply. He merely gave a nod to the esper. Gilgamesh nodded back. After that was done, Odin turned away and began to walk back to his place. Gilgamesh licked his lips once his back was turned. Then, he turned back to the ring. He held up his new sword with two of his hands, and balled the others into fists. That done, he walked into the ring at last.

Shiva had already been there a while. She looked cold as ice, and glared steely at the approaching esper. In truth, Gilgamesh didn't know the other espers that well. He had spent too much time just with his father learning. He hadn't had time for any playing. And so, he didn't know much about them, or what to expect from any of them. And he wasn't that friendly with any of them. Now, he had to beat them in a fight. He stood on his side of the ring, and immediately held up his blade at the ready. Shiva stood on her side as well, and held as well. Both of them waited.

"Three…two…one…go!"

Gilgamesh tore across the ring to Shiva. He formed a battle look on his face, and cried out in fury. Shiva's own face didn't change, but she shot across the field as well. Both of them ran to each other for a moment, before they met in the center. Gilgamesh immediately began swiping at Shiva with his new sword. But Shiva was lithe and quick. She dodged Gilgamesh's first three swipes, and then countered with swinging her body around and aiming a roundhouse kick at his face. Gilgamesh gaped, but then brought up one of his extra arms to block the blow. After that, Shiva immediately shot out several fists at the esper. But he either blocked these blows or dodged them as well. Finally, he drove his own blade forward, forcing Shiva to break off her attack and leap back. Pushing his advantage, Gilgamesh came forward swinging, forcing Shiva to back up as he did. Soon, she was headed back on her way to the edge of the ring.

But she hadn't gotten far before she suddenly spun around, avoiding the latest stab, and rolling forward to smash the back of her hand against Gilgamesh's head. The esper cried out and flew back. Shiva quickly spun back around, then threw her next first forward into his gut. He grunted and let out a rush of air, then staggered back, and began to falter. It seemed as if he would tip back until he fell completely over, and he did begin to tip as he went back. However, before he could, he abruptly froze, then suddenly snapped his body back up and around into standing position, smashing his forehead into Shiva's nose in the process. The ice esper gave a cry and stumbled back from the blow.

Quickly, Gilgamesh raised his sword and moved in for the victory. But Shiva managed to recover too soon. As Gilgamesh closed, she quickly pointed her finger at his feet. As with Ifrit, blue lines of light began to gather around her finger. They focused and grew, coming together on the end of her tip. White smoke began to form around her hand, forming another new move. But then, she called out the attack. "Arc."

Immediately, ice crystals formed around Gilgamesh's feet in mid-step. In an instant, he was frozen to the ground, and couldn't move. The esper halted in surprise, and looked down to his feet. He saw what had happened, and looked back up to Shiva. He was just in time to see her perform a somersault kick in mid-air, catching his chin under one of her feet. Gilgamesh was knocked free of the ice, but thrown across the floor in the process. He crashed down onto the ring a moment later and slid a few feet before halting. He grunted and groaned in pain, and cracked his eyes open.

On the edge of the ring, he saw his father…frowning in disappointment…displeased with the match.

Seeing that, Gilgamesh looked up with renewed vigor. He clenched his teeth at the ice esper. Shiva responded by coldly raising a finger again and doing another of her Arc attacks. Quickly, Gilgamesh rolled to one side, just avoiding the move. But she quickly did another, and he was forced to roll again to avoid it. He had to change directions next, as Shiva got his pattern and tried to counter it. The esper realized it was futile. If he didn't do something to interrupt this, then he wouldn't be able to fight much longer. However, there was only one thing he could think of. That involved losing his gift. But he had no choice. It was either discard it or lose all chance of victory. And so…he decided to take the chance.

Abruptly, Gilgamesh pulled back his arm, and then threw his blade forward right at Shiva. The ice esper gaped in response, and as intended was forced to break off her attack in order to dodge the move. Gilgamesh used his time immediately. In a flash, he rolled forward to his feet, and shot straight for Shiva. The ice esper recovered, but it was too late. She recovered only to see Gilgamesh smash her in the face.

Now, the boy esper unleashed his fury. He used two arms to beat Shiva repeatedly in the stomach, before alternating with an uppercut and several other hits with his upper fists. After a few moments, Shiva was being forced back to the edge of the ring. And under the barrage of fists, she couldn't recover. Victory seemed certain. She kept pushing back, until they were right at the edge. Once there, the boy immediately went back…preparing to shoot forward with one last powerful blow to finish her off.

But Shiva still had one trick left. Abruptly, she fired off one last Arc attack…directly at the ground. A patch of ice immediately formed on it. Gilgamesh still rushed forward, and put his foot on the ice as he did. Immediately, the momentum sent him flying forward too fast. Shiva quickly dodged to one side, and Gilgamesh shot by her, still slipping on the ice. Finally, he flew right over the edge…and landed face down on the ground outside the ring.

* * *

On landing, to Gilgamesh...it seemed like he was still falling. All time froze at once, and everything was silent. He felt himself falling down, but it was like a dream. It was like he could stop it if he wanted…almost as if he could still make it go back. The reality hadn't settled in just yet. But in the end, it was over. He did feel himself land. He did feel his failure. And he realized, despite everything…he didn't win. He had lost.

"Gilgamesh is out of the ring! Shiva wins!"

Shiva didn't react. She merely turned and walked away calmly out of the ring. As for Gilgamesh, he lay there in shock. He still couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe how he had lost. After everything, all his readiness to win…all his plans and hopes…he had still lost. And it was in such a pathetic fashion. It was such a failure. Slowly, he looked up to the ground as he heard the people begin to applause from the fight. As he looked up, he saw that Ragnarok was just a little bit head, embedded in the ground. Slowly, he got to all fours. He began to move forward, and started to reach out to the blade…

But abruptly, a gauntlet closed around the hilt and lifted it up. He looked up to the source, and his heart sank within him. Odin was there, standing over him and glaring at him down with a mixture of disappointment and loathing. He glared down at the boy with a hateful look. Gilgamesh felt his insides melt, and he quivered.

"You…miserable…waste of effort." Odin hissed. "Fifty years…fifty years of my life I put into you. Day in…day out…I tried everything to mold you into the ultimate warrior. I tried to make you superior to all espers. But you…you were always weak…you wanted to go for that stupid serpent. You wanted to waste your time on those stupid tablets. You always were a waste…a waste of everything I put into you. I had you to be my successor, to rise above everyone. And you threw it all away for this. You're a failure. I'm ashamed that you're my son."

Gilgamesh didn't answer. He stared back silently, his eyes visibly filled with hurt at this, but showing nothing else. He felt cold on the inside, feeling his father's words cut into him. All chance at earning his respect vanished, leaving nothing but hopelessness…and the feeling of being unloved. But none of his hurt looks would impress on his father. Nothing would. He was nothing in his sight anymore…nothing but a failure.

Odin held up his sword and waved it in front of him. "One day, I'll have a _true_ heir. A true son. He'll take this sword. But now, I'm ashamed it has the oil from your hands on it." With that, Odin turned his back to him and began to walk away. Gilgamesh looked up, his eyes still filled with surprise and fear. But he didn't change. Odin kept turned and kept walking away.

"Stay where you will and with whom you will." Odin snapped back. "But I don't ever want to see you in _my_ sight again."

Without another word, Odin walked away. Gilgamesh was left laying on the ground. He stared up for a moment, but didn't do anything else. He felt stunned and dejected. He felt lower than he ever had in his life. He felt more worthless and pathetic than ever…more unloved and meaningless than ever. He didn't know what to do now. He felt empty inside…and could only lay there on the ground. He stared blankly downward the whole time.

At last, Starlet, seeing this, began to get up to move over to him. But she had just finished standing when Gilgamesh finally rose. He didn't cry. He didn't weep. He merely rose and began to walk away from the battlefield. He didn't look to anyone. He didn't say anything. He didn't look angry or sad. He just walked away. Starlet focused on him with a look of longing. She turned to Odin, looking to see a reaction to him. But he didn't even act if Gilgamesh was alive. He was focusing on the battle all over again. Starlet frowned at him, but then went down and sat again. She was too much a slave of propriety herself to make a scene in the middle of thegathering.Angrily, she looked at the battlefield, and readied for the next battle.

* * *

"Ifrit and Ramuh, step forward!"

Ramuh gulped yet again as he stepped out. He had been lucky last time, but he had a feeling the same wouldn't happen again. Now, he somehow had to win on his own. He moved out more reluctantly than before to the other side of the ring. He was more nervous than before, and fearing loss more than ever.

Unfortunately, Ifrit was not so fearful. Seeing Ramuh's look only filled him with confidence. He didn't fear beating this one. Ramuh was too cowardly to put up much of a fight. Already, Ifrit was looking ahead to his coming tangle with Shiva. This was going to be a breeze to him.

And so, these two opponents met on either side of the field. One confident, the other terrified. Ramuh shook like a leaf, realizing he was doomed this time. He had nothing. He had entered this tournament just so he could have a shot against Ifrit, but now he realized there was little he could do against the ferocious bully. This was suicide to try. Maybe he should just surrender right now. That was a viable alternative. He could miss out on a lot of pain and…

"Three…two…one…go!"

Ramuh eeped in fear. The fight was already on. Ifrit, pouring heat from his mouth and snarling furiously, tore forward again. Ramuh cried out in fear as he charged. Unable to take it, Ramuh finally turned away from Ifrit and pointed his fingers at him. However, something happened at that. Somehow, the fear invoked an inner instinct in him. His inner powers bubbled forth, and words came out of his lips. Then, abruptly, his voice cried out not a scream but a call.

"Volt!"

Immediately, a small bolt of electricity erupted from Ramuh's hands. It wasn't that big, but it was potent enough. It shot through the air and struck Ifrit head on. Immediately, a sizzling sound resulted as a bolt of electricity shot through him and around him, piercing him from within and penetrating him. For a few brief moments, Ifrit was fried. At last the energy vanished, andthe fire esperfell to the ground for a brief moment. He smoked slightly, and breathed hard to regain his breath.

Ramuh opened his eyes and looked to the scene…and immediately was amazed. Luck was on his side again. He must have unlocked one of his powers for the first time. And it had done a lot of damage too. For a moment, he rejoiced. But then he saw that Ifrit began to rise again. What more, he looked much angrier than before. He looked almost like a demon now, hissing and growling at him. Abruptly, the fire esper jumped back on his feet. After that, he ran straight for the esper once more. But after only taking a few steps, he leapt into the air, and sailed straight for the weaker one…claws extended and full of fury.

Ramuh screamed again and cringed. But as he did…again the power was summoned to him. Now, the sky overhead grew a bit darker. A cloud moved in front of the sun. After that, a bolt suddenly cracked out of the sky, came sailing down, and struck him. Immediately, Ramuh's body was electrified and swarming with white-hot bolts. But none of them seemed to effect him. He didn't even appear to notice. Ifrit, on the other hand, did. On touching Ramuh, the bolts immediately transferred into him. The beast kicked back his head and roared in agony as more bolts penetrated through him, frying him inside and out. Abruptly, his body was thrown off of Ramuh, and he was hurtled through the air before crashing back down onto the ring. He rolled a bit away before coming to a rest, and sizzling a bit as he did so.

Ramuh slowly uncovered his eyes. But on doing so, he blinked in astonishment, and straightened up. Again, he had managed to succeed. Ifrit lay in a heap in front of him, more weakened than ever. He couldn't believe it…he was winning! Slowly, a smile began to form on Ramuh's face. A hope brightened within him. In front of him, Ifrit groaned and grumbled. He was smoking again, but he managed to turn over and start to get up once more. He groggily got to his feet, more furious than ever. But he was slower now as he came to his feet. Once up, he glared at Ramuh.

But now, the other esper had a bit more confidence. He held out his fingers at thebully and tried to look threatening. "N-Now…d-d-don't make me fry you again, Ifrit. I'll do it. If you try again, so help me…I'll do it."

Ifrit angrily rose again. He honestly didn't know if Ramuh was bluffing. Those last two shots had seemed like luck. But even so…they hurt. Bad. And he could still get lucky and do the same thing again even if he was bluffing. Ifrit didn't think he could take another lightning bolt from his sibling. He had to think of something else…some better strategy. Ramuh was a coward. He could see it right now. Was there any way he could use that against Ramuh rather than against himself? There had to be something…

Then, an idea did come to Ifrit.

With a grin, Ifrit merely held his palm in front of him. As before, he began to summon his energy.

Ramuh's eyes widened. He gulped. "What…what are you doing?"

Ifrit didn't answer. He just kept summoning the energy. In moments, a ball of fire was in his hand. But not finished with that, he held up his other palm and began to focus with that one too.

"Stop…don't do it…" Ramuh responded trembling. He began to step backward, away from Ifrit.

The fire esper merely laughed in response. Another ball of fire formed in his hand. Now, with two hands full of fire, he began to pull back, preparing to throw them at his foe.

Ramuh was fully panicked now. He threw his hands down and shook like a leaf. He backed away much faster than before. "No! Don't do it! I was only kidding! Honest I was! Stop-"

But as Ramuh stepped back the last time, he suddenly stumbled and fell back. He tottered a little, and stumbled back a bit more, but eventually both of his feet hit solid, even ground. However, he froze after that. He looked down at where he was as his fear vanished, replaced by puzzlement. He saw that he had walked right out of the ring. He had lost. Ramuh blinked in surprise at that. As for Ifrit, the fire esper merely snickered, and made his balls of fire vanish again, never throwing them at all. Ramuh looked around a bit at himself, still confused at what had just happened. He looked up, and scratched his head, then shrugged.

"Well…at least I didn't get hurt."

* * *

The espers groaned on their side. The others did as well. None of the crowds seemed too thrilled with this. The Lufenians seemed rather bored with it, yawning in reply. Another semi-victory. Bahamut sighed and announced the news. "Ramuh is out of the ring. Ifrit wins the fight."

"Terrific…" Leviathan moaned. "Hopefully, this last fight will be something."

Ifrit moved back to his side of the field. Once there, he stood still, and waited for his opponent. Again, Shiva returned to the ring. Calm as ever, and cold as ice, she strolled up onto her side of the court and moved onto the playing area. After that, she turned and faced off against the fire esper. Ifrit, in response, grinned at her with his wolf teeth as the crowd began to grow silent again.

"Heh heh…one more victory and I go home the champion." He boasted. "I'm going to clean the floor with you."

Shiva snorted in response. "Dream on. I'm actually glad that we got to fight. I'll enjoy humiliating you."

Bahamut raised his hand one last time. "Three…"

Both Ifrit and Shiva got into ready positions. Both of them focused on the other, and formed looks of victory in their own ways.

"Two…"

Ifrit gleamed his fangs at Shiva. This was his chance to humiliate Shiva more than ever and be crowned the strongest esper of all the kids.

"One…"

Shiva glared at Ifrit with her cold eyes. This was her chance to get revenge for all his tricks and taunts and always have something to hold over him.

"Go!"

Immediately, both espers pointed their hands at each other, focused, and then fired off their respective attacks.

"Pyro!"

"Arc!"

The ball of fire and the shard of ice both sailed to one another. They shot through the air for a few brief moments before striking each other both at the same time. Immediately, a fizzle went out. A puff of smoke appeared, and a splash of water went to the ground. Both of their attacks vanished, and nothing else came.

"Huh?" Both said at once, surprised at that move. However, they soon frowned, pointed their hands at each other, and tried again. But it had the same result. The attacks struck each other, fizzled, splashed water, and then disappeared. They were canceling each other out with their powers. Hitting each other with their magic attacks was useless. The espers were intrigued at this, particularly Bahamut. So…fire was weak against ice…and ice was weak against fire… Did the other elementals counter themselves in this way?

Bahamut soon cut that chain of thinking off as both espers darted to one other. These ones were more ferocious and vicious than the others. Shiva came first, swinging her fist at Ifrit's head. But Ifrit ducked, and tried a leg sweep of Shiva's legs. She jumped over, and tried a mid-air axe kick. Ifrit side-stepped it, and tried to counter with his own punch to the gut. Shiva brought her arm down and blocked it, then brought up her other hand to smash Ifrit against the head. Ifrit brought out his own hand and seized her wrist, and for a moment the two were at an impasse. But then, Ifrit yanked up, attempting to throw Shiva over his head. He hoisted her into the air and began to bring her over. But then, Shiva shot out her arms, reached down, and grabbed Ifrit's shoulders. Using him as a fulcrum, she brought her body down and around and smashed both legs into Ifrit's chest. The fire esper gave out a cry and went flying back, away from Shiva, as she landed on the ground nimbly. However, no sooner had she landed than Ifrit stopped himself, planted his legs underneath, and then leapt up straight at Shiva. Soon, his horns had crashed into her nose, sending her flying back as well. She too landed on the ground in a squat, and for a moment the two merely glared at each other.

But then, both took off at each other once again. This time, Ifrit landed a hook across her face first. But Shiva answered back with a knee to the stomach. Ifrit punched her in the throat next, sending her flying back, but Shiva still managed to bring up her own leg and kick him in the same region. Both went flying away again. They both landed on the ground, but both soon got up again as well. They then darted around each other, glaring at each other and looking for an opening. They did nothing for a few moments. But then, Ifrit fired a Pyro at her. However, Shiva smacked the attack away with the back of her own hand, and returned with an Arc. Ifrit put his head to one side, and only got a small cut across his cheek. Shiva didn't show it, but there was a small burn on her hand. Ifrit shot forward and jabbed Shiva in the face. He seized her by the head afterward, and struggled to throw her out of the ring. But he was only halfway there before Shiva put her feet down, planted them, and then seized Ifrit's arm and used his momentum to throw him over her shoulder. He landed so hard on the ground he cracked the tiles.

Shiva tried to add on with an axe kick down on his head, but he quickly rolled out of the way. Then, he sprung himself up, and tried a hooking leg to bring her down next. But Shiva leapt over this as well and somersaulted back. Ifrit quickly got up to his feet, and dashed after her. As he closed in, Shiva performed one of her flip kicks to his face, and Ifrit was sent falling back. But he too had sprung back on an arched position, held a moment, then sprung back up to drive his head back into Shiva's ownskull again. She too went back, and soon both of them were on the ground again. They both crouched and paused for a moment. Both panted and breathed hard. Both were covered with bruises and even a little blood on their mouths. The exhaustion was taking its toll. They were both fading quickly. They weren't used to this kind of long-term fighting. Finally, they both decided to put their best attack forward…put all their power into the next attack and hopefully put down the next one so hard that he or she couldn't counter.

Both finally took off at once. Both extended a fist to the other, and both sailed straight for each other. And both, at the same time…struck each other in the face with as much power as they could muster. It was a tremendous clash for young espers. Both of them immediately were thrown away from each other, and then sent flying to the ground. They both slid a few feet, but neither went out. They fell totally limp and went still.

The espers and crowd alike were stunned. Neither said a word, and gaped at the sight. That had been the most explosive, fast-paced, ferocious fight yet. It had blown all the others away. This had been a real match. The Lufenians were duely amazed. Their previous calculations had been blown away by that exchange. All were shocked into silence. But, in the end, Bahamut found his voice. He managed to speak up.

"Um…both fighters are down!" Bahamut answered. "Beginning the count! One…"

Neither one moved.

"Two…"

They groaned a bit at this, and began to stir a little.

"Three…"

Both kept stirring, but nothing more.

"Four…"

Leviathan began to cheer both on together. The others started to cheer them on to get up too. Ifrit slowly managed to roll himself over.

"Five…"

Shiva joined as well in rolling over. Both started to push up.

"Six…"

The two struggled to move and get up. They began to tuck their legs underneath them.

"Seven…"

Ifrit got his knees underneath and began to push up.

"Eight…"

Shiva followed suit afterward. She began to push up more.

"Nine…"

It looked hopeless. Neither was going to get up in time. It was going to be a double knockout. But then, right before Bahamut spoke…Shiva suddenly sprung up in one of her gymnastic bursts. Abruptly, she sprang up and landed on her feet. After that, she stopped and stood. She waved a bit, and looked about to fall over. But it was too late.

"Ten!" Bahamut cried. "Ifrit is out! Shiva wins the match!"

The crowd immediately stood up and burst into applause. Everyone cheered and cried for the fantastic match. Seeing the two espers go at it was worth almost all of the other lesser fights. It had been an excellent fight, and all were glad to see it. Even Palad, who had personally seen the long battle against Crusader, felt a deal of excitement from it, and clapped on. The espers rose as well and clapped at the two, giving them praise for the match. In truth, they were proud of both even if Shiva had been the one who won the fight. Even the other young espers clapped.

In the center of the ring, Ifrit stayed on all fours. He frowned and did not move. He sulked on the ground, refusing to get up. He had been so close to winning, but in the end he had failed…and he had lost fair and square. No tricks this time. The battle had been satisfying, which made it all the worse. But then, all of the sudden, blue fingers entered his line of vision. He looked up to the source, and saw that he was looking up into the cold face of Shiva.

"…If you hadn't fought an extra battle than me, you would have won."

Ifrit paused on hearing that. He didn't expect that kind of reply to his state. However, on looking at Shiva for a moment, he began to swallow. "Um…well…you know…Gilgamesh beat you up really bad too. He was the only real fighter. So…it's pretty fair. In fact…" He bowed his head a bit at this. "You…you might have even been much better."

Shiva seemed struck by that too. Her normally stoic face was taken slightly aback. However, after a small moment…she managed a slight smile, and held down her hand to Ifrit again. The fiery esper smiled a bit back, then took the hand, and the first helped the other up. Once both were up, they both walked out of the ring together, as the people continued to clap around them.

Leviathan gaped a bit at the sight. "You know Bahamut…" He murmured, as he saw Ifrit and Shiva now looking closer together than ever. "…Maybe this match was a good idea after all."

* * *

After a bit more rejoicing and gathering, the groups began to leave. They wouldn't be officially around for the actual birthing this time. That was still a private matter. But the espers were eager to get ready, and so the people began to file out. The espers gave their tearful goodbye to Palad, knowing this time it would be for good. They wished him well with his remaining time and prayed for the future of the human race. The other races gathered on their dragons, and the groups began to take off and leave Terratopolis. The elves were first, followed by the dwarves, and next the Lufenians. This last group complemented the espers for their hospitality, expressed a desire to meet again, and then boarded their strange machine…a thing that they called an 'airship'. After that, they took off and began to fly away, leaving the espers to deal with the rest of their guests.

As they disembarked, exited the mountain, and started to fly away into the sky. They traveled for a good couple of hours afterward, despite the power of the ship. But at last, their own floating fortress began to appear. It was a bizarre sight. It looked like a great upside-down pyramid shape in the sky. It gleamed with lights all over it, sparking up in new positions as the pyramid turned on. Still, the whole place was dark. It was covered with shadow as the sun set. It was to this place that the airship came. A great opening appeared in the side of the island. Two halves of it slid aside, revealing the entrance. The airship readily entered, and soon after the halves slid back together, concealing it once again.

Inside, a few minutes later, the people who were in the airship arrived in a dark chamber. Only blue lights lit up the place, and those were in giant columns that radiated through the building, or on platforms and stands in small lights. Lines and grids seemed to run through everything, running a great deal of machinery through all. Everything was metal and technical, and all was far more advanced than anything the Planet had ever seen. It was to this place that the men approached.

"Hmm…I thought that our readings were well within sufficient levels…until we saw those two."

"Yes indeed."

"Are we still within threshold?"

"We can tolerate up to a twenty-fold increase on the observed levels."

"Good. Let's not delay then."

"Are you sure?"

"They have a potential to increase. Better to nip them in the bud."

"But our research?"

"It will go better if they're not around. This has to happen sooner or later."

"Very well."

"Launching Ark…"

* * *

"So, Ogopogo, you planning anything this time?"

"Aw no…not me." Ogopogo immediately responded with a nod. It was much later now. The crowds had all left, and it was getting late. The kids were all having their wounds tended. The espers had broken apart from each other. Leviathan and Ogopogo were taking time out at the moment, waiting until everyone was gathered and was ready to get the birthing underway. It would be interesting to see what new espers would arise. However, Leviathan was already looking forward to the next fifty years. By then, their children would be old enough to do their own, and would probably have their own, Omniapexes. And seeing as Bahamut's tournament ended up with Shiva and Ifrit making a peace with each other, Leviathan was almost eager to see another one between the next set of children. "What about you?" Ogopogo asked.

Leviathan turned uneasy at that. He swallowed deeply, and he quivered a little. He felt a bit cold inside. "Um…no." He answered nervously.

"Really? Not even with Starlet?"

Leviathan quivered even more at that. He looked overwhelmed with anxiety. "Um…well…"

"Come on. I know you've liked her for a while now. When are you going to try and say something?"

Leviathan winced and figited around with his hands. He groaned a bit inside. But after a moment, he managed to speak again. "…Starlet…isn't really interested in me. She's too…flighty. What she wants right now is another child that's as pretty and dainty as her. She wants it so bad that she's actually going to use the separation reproduction."

"What?" Ogopogo retorted. "You have to be kidding. She wants to do that over that fusion birth?"

Leviathan sighed in response and shrugged. "She doesn't care. And I can't give her any children that look like her. Our children would be some sort of beasts."

"Man, that's rough." Ogopogo groaned in response. Both paused for a moment, swimming in the water of the underground lake. Some time went by, but in the end Ogopogo was the one who turned to Leviathan and spoke up again. "So…when are we getting started, anyway?"

"Once Odin gets back." Leviathan frowned in response. "He might want to reproduce, and he's been sulking all day. All because of…"

Leviathan saw someone here, and trailed off. He looked up to the shore and focused there. Ogopogo noticed this, and turned and looked as well. When he did, he saw why Leviathan had stopped. Gilgamesh was now walking up to the both of them. His face was unchanged from earlier. He was still on the same look as at the tournament, and his attitude seemed unchanged. But in reality, he had been thinking for some time now. That much was obvious. Leviathan, on seeing his pupil, arose up more and called out to him.

"Gilgamesh, you're back."

The esper didn't answer. He simply walked up to the both of them. Once there, he gave a nod them both. "Master Ogopogo…Master Leviathan."

Ogopogo chuckled. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Gilgamesh…I'm sorry about what happened." Leviathan spoke in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry about all of that. Your father had no right to talk to you that way. I know you did your best. Shiva nearly made a panic move…"

"No, no…it's alright, master." Gilgamesh answered. His face didn't change, but he waved it off and gave a nod. "I'm better now. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I'm better."

Both espers hesitated for a moment at that. They examined Gilgamesh for signs of difference. But in the end, Leviathan gave a nod. "I'm glad to hear it. Anyway, what can I do for you today, young man? Need more reading material?"

"No, not today." Gilgamesh answered, his voice going intrigued. "I was actually wondering. I heard about that sword my father gave me…that you guys put your energy into it to make it. That it was the sword of all the espers. Even Phoenix, Wyvern, and Crusader."

Leviathan paused a moment on hearing that. After a few seconds, however, he gave a nod. "Yes."

"But…the blade was imperfect, wasn't it?" Gilgamesh ventured. "You guys barely knew anything about sword making. And you only put a tiny bit of your powers into it."

Leviathan and Ogopogo both pausedat that. They turned and looked to each other, and then looked back to the esper. Leviathan thought for a moment, and then shrugged in admittance. "The blade was made very strong, Gilgamesh. But wasn't made as strong as possible, no. I was still learning at the time. We all were. And in actuality," Here, Leviathan turned around behind himself and gestured to his brother. "Ogopogo was the one who seemed to gain the true skill at sword making." He wasn't lying. Ogopogo was behind them in a lot, but he excelled in sword-making. It was he who contributed the most to Ragnarok being built. If he put his new knowledge together with Ogopogo's, they could make something really spectacular. Plus… "And we didn't put the maximum amount of our energy into it either."

"Well…could you put more?" Gilgamesh asked, sounding genuinely interested. "Like…here was what I was thinking. Whenever you guys do a fusion, you take out your own energy, and then you combine it together into a new thing. This is the birthing time. Do you think…maybe you two…" He paused a moment and swallowed. "Could…instead of combining your energy to make an offspring, two of you…combine your energies into a sword?"

Both paused at that. Leviathan raised an eyebrow. Ogopogo looked intrigued as well. The two turned and looked at each other a moment. They considered this possibility for a second, and thought over it. But as they thought, something seemed to come to mind. The idea seemed to have merit. In fact, the possibility was entertaining, and it piqued the curiousity of Leviathan and Ogopogo alike. They finally turned back to him, and Leviathan gave a nod.

"I suppose it is possible."

* * *

Odin perched on his stone, miles away from Terratopolis, and scowled. He knew the group was waiting for him, but he didn't really care. He was furious still. He had barely kept from striking his miserable excuse of a son at the field. He couldn't believe it…all of what he had wasted on trying to make something of the boy. And this was what happened. Everything was for nothing. He had worked endlessly with the lad to make him into something. But this was what happened. He didn't blame himself. He had done everything possible and more to make him into a good warrior. It had to be him. It had to be his fault. He had pursued those stupid tablets of Leviathan. He had been obsessed with spending all his time learning useless material now. He was wasting his life and his gifts. He was turning himself into a weakling. And so, he didn't care anymore. The boy could do whatever he wanted now. Just never come around him again.

Odin fumed and ground his foot against a rock. He heard the wind pick up around him, and a powerful gust began to gather. The warrior esper ignored it for now. He was too upset. Ever since the day he saw Bahamut overcome him in terms of power, Odin had been furious. He had been the warrior esper, and yet in the time of battle it had been Bahamut, the brother he couldn't stand, who had come out on top. He couldn't bear it. Yet in the end, he was more controlled than Wyvern. He held his tongue and hung back. He did so for one reason…that he could one day sire a successor that _would_ be superior to his brothers. But fifty years later, he had nothing to show for it. He had to try again. Only Odin didn't care to start right away. He had his fill of ungrateful children for the time being. He'd try again later…maybe in another fifty years.

Still, the wind built up around Odin. He frowned and began to wince beneath it. It was unseasonal for this time of year. But as he continued to sit and wait, it only grew stronger…and colder. It soon had some force in it, some real force. It blew up the rocks and pebbles around him, and that was not natural. It interrupted Odin's thoughts and pushed harder against him, whipping his clothes up and nearly pulling his cape off from him. As it grew stronger and colder, Odin finally reacted. This wasn't natural. This was something else.

At last, Odin turned and began to rise from his place. He looked to the sky to the source of the wind. His red eyes instantly expanded…right before he felt the monstrosity before him begin to drain the life out of him.

* * *

To be continued...


	5. Feeding Time

Bahamut sighed deeply, as he rubbed against his brow. He felt a bit tired all of the sudden. Evidently, the festivities had been too much for him. And despite all that had happened, he was still a little disappointed. He had hoped Wyvern would return for this at least. But he hadn't. His brother was still gone, and none of the guests knew anything about him. Another year would go by where he could never apologize to him. That made the esper feel sad and cold inside as he walked through the halls. However, he had to try and rejoice as much as he could. This was going to be a good night…if they could ever get started.

Bahamut finally made his way to one of the new chambers. He stepped inside it at once. In it, he saw the makings of the nursery. Long ago, the kid espers outgrew their cribs. They now had their own beds to lay in…at least those that wanted to. Shiva, Titan, and Ramuh seemed to like them. Palidor preferred a nest like Phoenix had liked. As for Ifrit…he liked to lay in a ball on the floor with a rug. Starlet had just finished tending to them, it seemed. They were still running around, seeming to bounce about after their earlier fight. And they were talking to each other excitedly.

"Man, I almost won that fight…"

"Just because you were lucky!"

"Hey! I almost won fair and square!"

"Titan fight!"

"Where's Gilgamesh? Shouldn't he be in bed?"

"Ah, he's still moping."

Starlet sat in their midst. A hand was to her brow and rubbing it. She looked rather tired as well. She moaned a bit in their midst. "These kids must have been more hurt than I thought. They took a lot out of me."

"Maybe it's just all the action we saw today." Bahamut answered, exhaling a bit. "I'm pretty tired too."

"The kids are still perking with energy though." Starlet commented. "And they were fighting today."

"Aw, that was hours ago. I'm fine now." Ifrit protested.

"I'd just like to get my separation over with." Starlet sighed in response. "I'm going to be too tired if this goes on any longer. Let's get going."

"We should wait for Odin." Bahamut answered.

Starlet's face turned to rage. "I don't give a damn if he joins up with Wyvern and never comes back." Starlet was sharp at this. She very rarely cursed.

However, Bahamut was struck at that. The mention of his brother stiffened him up. Starlet almost immediately realized her mistake. She cupped her hand to her mouth instantly. "Oh…Bahamut…I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean it in that way."

Bahamut paused with a stony look, but eventually nodded in response. "…It's alright."

"Odin…what he did…was really rotten. I haven't seen Gilgamesh all day. He makes me so mad. I never would have agreed to have a child with him."

Bahamut sighed in response. He really didn't know what to say in response to that. And so, he said nothing. He paused for a little while, but then spoke up again at last. "The dragons that stopped by," He continued, changing the subject. "They recorded messages on the crystal in the meeting hall for us. Just their thoughts written on the crystal. I was looking over them, seeing what they had to say. But now that that's done, I'm ready to move on if you are."

With that, Bahamut turned to the side, closed his eyes, and focused for a moment. He reached out and tried to probe for Odin. It didn't take long though. His eyes reopened, and he spoke out about what he felt. "He's nearby. I sense his energy…" However, at that, Bahamut trailed off a little. His face turned to concern abruptly, and a hint of puzzlement.

Starlet saw this. Immediately, her own face grew concerned, and she leaned in toward her brother. "What's the matter?"

"That's odd." Bahamut answered. "He seems to be circling around the mountain, but I didn't see him get Slepnir. And there's something different…something unusual about his power. It seems almost artificial…different…mixed even…"

Bahamut trailed off at this. He kept staring at the sky, getting a faraway look in his appearance. Starlet looked back in confusion, but said nothing. She waited for Bahamut's response. In the end, however, Bahamut shook his head and waved it off. "It could be nothing." He responded at last. "In any case, let's go. We can meet up with him outside."

* * *

"Well…such a weapon could be made…" Leviathan responded, giving a sigh and wiping his brow. "But it would take ten days to make it as good as we could…" He exhaled again, and shook his head once more.

Gilgamesh looked a bit intrigued at that. "…You alright? You look tired."

"Yeah…I am…strangely enough." Leviathan murmured in reply.

"Me too." Ogopogo mentioned. "Man…I feel like just skipping the birthing for tonight. Maybe we could postpone it… I'm too tired."

Gilgamesh scratched his head. He felt fine, and he had been in a fight earlier. "You guys must be getting too old for us."

However, Gilgamesh had barely finished saying that when he heard a sound over them. It seemed like it had just entered the crater, was beginning to echo in it. The espers all turned and looked up to it. It seemed strange to the ear, and yet at the same time was also familiar. As they looked up to it, in the darkness of the night they recognized a vague shape. And they recognized the noise as well. It was the same sounds that the airship had made earlier. And now, it was coming down again.

"The airship?" Leviathan asked.

"The Lufenians are coming back?" Ogopogo ventured.

The sound continued to grow louder. Itcame downinto the mountain hollow. The espers continued to look up curiously, wondering what this latest turn meant. The ship kept coming, and as it did, Leviathan began to change. A look of interest went over his face, and intrigue at the sight. However, as it descended over half the cave and kept coming, Leviathan's face suddenly froze.

"Guys…I sense Odin's power in that thing."

Ogopogo and Gilgamesh both turned to Leviathan in surprise. Then, they wheeled back to the airship. It was then that Gilgamesh realized it wasn't the same. This airship had only two propellers. It was long with a very thin body, and a lot of tails behind it. It seemed meant to move itself around than carry people. It was also covered with metal, not wood like the last ones. It kept lowering, closing in on the others. At once…the espers didn't feel all that good above the coming airship. In fact, they were getting rather fearful about it. The ship kept descending, and they began to tense up as it did. They all began to feel Odin's power now…but this definitely wasn't Odin.

Finally, the airship was about thirty feet from the ground. There it halted. Immediately, it turned to the group. For a moment, they all saw a light suddenly glow from it. A bright white line just shot up from the ship. Then, abruptly…the light seemed to break off from the ship. It condensed and twisted, and abruptly formed a circle of white light. The circle spun and danced in the air…and then curved straight for the three of them.

"Oh no…" Gilgamesh gasped.

"Run!" Leviathan cried.

Immediately, the three scattered. Gilgamesh dove to one side, just in time to miss the slice cutting into his previous position. It kept traveling, however, cutting down and seeming to go toward the water for the older espers as well. But they too dove into the water. They were clear, and the light circle cut just over them. The water sizzled as it went through it, vaporizing partially and turning to steam. But the circle kept cutting through, and returned to the ship. A locking sound was heard, and the circle seemed to rejoin it. The espers immediately went back up again. Gilgamesh raised his head again and looked around nervously. However, Leviathan and Ogopogo immediately went to work.

"Aqua-ject!"

"Aqua-ject!"

Moments later, the two serpent heads snapped back as two larger buzz-saws of water, much larger than the last one, fired forward at the airship. They too twisted and cut through the air, and headed straight for the ship. Yet it seemed to be rather adept at avoiding as well. It dodged up and then moved to the side, moving out of the way of the blades. Yet Leviathan and Opogogo had both learned new tricks with their attacks. Abruptly, they both stuck out their whiskers at them, and in response both blades halted in mid-air. Then, moving their whiskers back, the blades came rushing back at the airship from behind. Quickly, it had to dodge again, but unfortunately it did dodge. The two soon moved their blades back, but it dodged these as well. It was nimble for being so big.

Gilgamesh began to rise from his spot on the ground, seeing what was occurring. However, Leviathan instantly called out to him. "No! Don't stay, Gilgamesh! Run and get the others!" He ordered.

The youth paused a moment, but in the end he did do what he was told. He turned, and he began to run back in toward the tunnels once more. While he did so, the two espers continued to make their blades of water dance around the thing, trying to move in to cut it. But it kept dodging, no matter what they did. And slowly…their attacks were losing their force to them. The blades would eventually run out. But what was worse, both espers realized that even these simple moves seemed to be tiring them out. They wouldn't be able to keep up for much longer.

Abruptly, two panels opened on either side of the airship. They revealed small dark holes within. As it continued to dodge, these dark holes too began to glow. A new energy attack was being summoned within them. Suddenly, both fired at once, sending out beams of light at both water disks. Both erupted and exploded into fragments of steam and water as the blasts hit them. Both Leviathan and Ogopogo gaped at the result. They stared at what had happened, and then stared at the airship. But before either of them could summon another attack, it fired again. This time, both of its light beams were aimed for Ogopogo. Both of them struck the esper together a moment later, and Ogopogo's body arched violently out of the water, twisting in two different ways. Leviathan, in shock, shot back from his brother as the attack struck him. He gaped at the airship and at Ogopogo, as he fell back to the water and slammed down on it. He went limp on the surface, and moved no more.

Leviathan gasped in fear at what had happened. He was stunned at first, thinking Ogopogo was dead. But then…he sensed his power. He saw that it had not diminished. Instead, it was still very strong. In fact, the great airship suddenly turned off its light beams and closed them up. Afterward, it immediately pitched forward and ran up to the fallen Ogopogo. It halted a moment later right over him. Leviathan watched it for a moment…but then saw a new thing happen. Abruptly, some sort of shiny lines…like tendrils of some creature, erupted out of the sides, extended down, and fastened themselves onto Ogopogo's body. After that, the airship began to whir and make noise. What was going on wasn't readily apparent. Leviathan, however, could sense it. The airship was sucking the energy out of Ogopogo…adding to its own strength. Indeed…within seconds, he felt not only Odin's power within the airship…but Ogopogo's as well. But the ship soon finished. It retreated its tendrils, they wheeled around and focused on Leviathan next.

The esper paled. He knew he only had one chance now. It would have to be his Omniapex…his Tsunami. Quickly, Leviathan coiled up and tensed up. He started to focus his own outer power, beginning to call upon the waters from the air and the lake around him. But he had only started…when his splitting headache returned. It was worse than ever, and forced him to cut off. He did for a moment, but then started to summon again. But this time, he felt exhaustion grasp his brain, and pain radiated from it. Meanwhile, the airship opened its panels again…preparing to fire once more. Leviathan grunted and struggled again…but it was no good. He could sense his own power now…and now he realized why he had been tired and weak. Even though the ship wasn't touching him, it was still somehow draining his power.

Already…he felt weak signatures for himself, Starlet…and Bahamut…inside the airship.

Leviathan could do nothing else. He could only sit there and stare as the thing charged up its weapons again and fired.

* * *

Bahamut rubbed his eyes sleepily. "What…what was that?" He asked, in a half-daze.

Gilgamesh sighed in exasperation. He didn't know what was going on now, but he was sure that the airship had something to do with it. He had run back to the other adult espers, only to find that Bahamut and Starlet were worse than Leviathan and Ogopogo. They were slumped down in chairs, dangling over the tables. Their arms and legs were sprawled out, and it seemed they were barely keeping their eyes open. Starlet, however, was the worse of the two. Her head wavered, and she seemed to be waving in and out of consciousness.

"There's a thing out there…an airship or something." Gilgamesh reexplained. "It's doing something to us. It's sucking the life out of us or something. It was attacking Leviathan and Ogopogo, and they tried to help me. But I don't know what happened to them. I only know I can sense their energies now as part of that thing. But what more…I can sense your guys' energies too forming in that thing."

The other young espers froze. They looked shocked and terrified at this latest news. But Starlet could only half listen at this point. Bahamut was the only one who was alert, and he barely managed to keep his head up.

"That…explains some things…" Bahamut answered. But then, he grew a musing look. "Strange…I'm feeling such large effects…but you guys seem fine… It's like it was targeting the adults on purpose… Whatever it is…it's draining us dry and fast."

"What can we do?" Gilgamesh asked, his own tone much more panicked and fearful compared to the others. "We have to kill it, but how?"

"I have to get out there…" Bahamut managed to speak. "I have to…try and destroy it…with one of my breath attacks. But it's not sunny…so I can't use my Sol-pyrin." After saying that, however, Bahamut lazily turned his head over to Starlet, seeing her in her own position. "Starlet…I'm going to need you to give me all the power you have…"

However, in response, Starlet simply collapsed all together. Not having the strength to hold herself up, Starlet fell completely out of her chair and fell to the ground. Gilgamesh sensed her, and felt the last bits of her life force drained away. As the thing drained more…it apparently was able to drain faster. At any rate, Starlet was in an almost coma-like state without her power. She was no good to anyone now. She could only lay helplessly on the ground. Farther away…the airship fully filled up on Starlet's power.

Bahamut sighed tiredly. "…Well then…I'll just have to destroy it alone." With that, he put his hands underneath him, and slowly pushed. With a lot of effort, he managed to lift off the table. After he did so, he inhaled deeply and began to push up off the floor. All of it was slow going, and he strained and grunted a lot. His power was fading too fast. It's be gone in no time.

"You can't face it!" Gilgamesh protested. "Your power's too low!"

"Every second only makes it lower…" Bahamut answered. "It's better to do something now than when I'm drained dry. Stay back here, Gilgamesh…guard the others… I'll take care of this somehow…"

With that, Bahamut turned around to the exit of the room. He inhaled deeply, but then began to walk. He wavered and wobbled as he did so, but with a staggering gait he did manage to make his way down the hall, toward the battlefield. Gilgamesh was left behind, staring at him and looking uneasy all the time as he did, his mind not ceasing to worry about what would become of him.

"Hey!" Ifrit yelped, jumping out of his bed. He immediately dashed down to Gilgamesh, who was still turned and looking out to Bahamut. "What's going on? What were you guys talking about?"

"And what's wrong with my mother?" Palidor added, hopping out of her nest and beginning to run over to the white esper.

Gilgamesh turned to the others, swallowed a moment, but then began to explain again. "There's something out there. There's some sort of airship that's draining the energy out of everyone. It got Leviathan and Ogopogo. It got my father too, I think."

The other kid espers perked up at this. They began to get out of bed as well and jump down to the others. As for Palidor, she ran down to her fallen mother. She shook her and nudged her for a few moments, calling to her to wake up. But no matter what she did, she wouldn't rise. Palidor began to look worried as the others came down, growing panicky. She looked up to the others in fear. "What's wrong with my mom?" She asked.

Gilgamesh frowned in reply. He bowed his head a little and exhaled. "…I think it must have her too. It's draining life out of all the adults, even if it doesn't find them."

Palidor's face turned to fear. "No!" She cried.

"Where'd Lord Bahamut go?" Ramuh asked.

"To fight it."

"But isn't his power also being drained?" Shiva asked in reply.

Gilgamesh frowned in response, but then nodded.

"Then fighting is suicide!" Ramuh protested.

"But he's the only esper still standing." Gilgamesh answered grimly. "Without him, we'll be undefended. He has to try something."

The others went silent at that. They stiffened and held for a few moments. They all turned away to the ground and looked worried. Palidor turned to her mother and put her wings around her, but no matter what she did she couldn't make her rise. She couldn't come out of this. They all stood stunned, not knowing what they could do now or what was going to happen to Bahamut. However, after a pause of a few moments, Ifrit frowned. He suddenly sprung his head up and spoke.

"Hey! What are we?" He announced. "We're espers too!"

The others wheeled around to the fire esper.

"Are you nuts?" Shiva blared. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Fight, of course!" Ifrit shot back. "We've got powers too. And we haven't been drained."

"But the others have." Gilgamesh returned. "That thing now has the powers of Odin, Starlet, Leviathan, and Ogopogo. Soon, it's going to have the powers of Bahamut too. We couldn't possibly fight that back."

"Why not?" Ifrit protested. "You aren't all being chicken, are you? You saw what me and Shiva did today."

"Oh, give me a break!" Ramuh protested. "You're nothing compared to our parents."

Ifrit frowned in reply. But Gilgamesh supported it. "He's right. I've studied the battle a long time ago. We're not even as strong as our parents were back then, and Bahamut was so much above them…" However, on saying this, Gilgamesh trailed off. He seemed to suddenly realize something, and looked up for an instant. The others saw this, and stared at him for a moment. But then, Shiva interjected.

"What is it?"

"I just got an idea…" Gilgamesh responded. "It's something from years ago, during the last fight with Griever."

"What is it?" Ifrit demanded impatiently.

"Lord Bahamut's the strongest one of all of us." Gilgamesh answered. "Right?"

The others paused a moment, but then began to nod and admit it. "Right."

"Well, during their fight with Griever, Bahamut was out of power at one point. Because he was the best chance at winning, they all gave their power to him. Starlet used a technique to transfer their energy into Bahamut, and he refilled. Now, Bahamut's drained right now, but maybe we can give him all of our powers instead. That could fill him up and he could destroy the airship."

The kid espers looked to each other for a moment at that. They looked around to see if there were any signs of approval among them. Palidor rose her head. Ifrit turned about. There was silence for a few moments. But in the end, the ground shook a little…as Titan jumped out of his bed and made his way forward. He stood before all of the others, raised his massive arms, and then bellowed out a yell.

"Titan fight!"

"Sounds good to me." Ifrit responded. "Though I still wanted to take a swing at this guy."

"But who's going to do this?" Ramuh protested. "Starlet's already down."

Gilgamesh paused for a second. He swallowed and looked uneasy. "Well…I suppose I could give it a shot…" He admitted after a moment. "I have been trying this kind of stuff…with Leviathan."

"Sounds great."

The espers all turned to the one who spoke lately. When they did, they saw that it was Palidor, rising up from the ground. But she looked determined now, and her eyes were focused on getting revenge for what had happened. Her look was resolute. "Let's do it."

Ifrit began to grin at that. "Yeah! Let's do it!"

"Titan fight!" The hulking esper added.

Shiva merely shrugged. "Might as well."

Gilgamesh held a bit longer. He looked to Ramuh. However, the most cowardly esper merely shrugged. A cold feeling went into the pit of Gilgamesh's stomach. He wasn't that eager to fight the thing that had so easily put down his father. However…this could yet be a chance to prove himself. Thinking of that drove him on. Besides, he had to do something. If they waited, the thing would just come after them next. He nodded in the end, turned, and then motioned them on.

"Alright…follow me!"

Cheering and egging themselves on, the kid espers tore out in a mess from their room and flooded the hallway. Palidor hesitated a moment first. She bent down over her mother again and moved her limbs to make sure that they were positioned comfortably. Afterward, she told her she would return, then turned and rose and ran out after the others. She was well in the rear now, but she didn't care. She abandoned her parent for the time and was eager to help with Gilgamesh's plan.

The other five were already running down the hall, cutting past the other openings. Palidor turned and began to go after them, picking up speed to run before them all. They were pretty fast, and indoors she couldn't fly that well. But she picked up speed none the less. She began to gain on them as she passed a main branch in the hallway at long last…

_Palidor…_

Suddenly, the esper froze. She stopped flying and fell to the ground, perching for a moment. A voice, soft and whispering, had just struck her in the ear. She looked back down the hallway to the others…but none of them seemed to have heard it at all. In fact, they were still running away down the stone path and widening the gap. Palidor was about to take off and chase after them. She figured that the voice had just been her imagination if no one else had stopped…

_Palidor…_

Instantly, the bird halted again. She knew she heard it that time. It was a strange tone…somewhat wispy and weak…but distinctly imploring and calling to her. What more, it had a direction this time. She turned her head to the source…and found herself staring up the other branch hallway. Behind her, the footsteps began to vanish. The group turned the corner, ignoring that Palidor wasn't with them, and kept running on to the battle. The echoes of their steps remained, but began to fade away soon after. Palidor turned back down to them. She held a moment uneasily. She knew that she should have followed them…but she was uneasy about it. The voice that called to her intrigued her, piqued her curiosity. And she had a feeling from it she couldn't put down. She hesitated a moment longer, not sure what to do…

_Palidor…_

The voice called again, definitely from up the hall. And when Palidor heard the name this time, it burned within her. It was like a small fire that wouldn't go out. It created a yearning like for morning after a storming night. She couldn't suppress it. She was definitely curious now, more curious than she had ever been. She had to see what was making the voice, and what it meant. She wasn't scared. Nervous a bit, but not scared. She knew there was nothing in Terratopolis to hurt her. And so, she turned, and began to slowly make her way up the hallway.

Slowly, Palidor's lone footsteps echoed along the stone halls. Lights and torches had been put in long ago, and so her way was lit. She could see everything as she moved up. She passed through a few other branches on the path, before the voice called out again…stronger and more insistent this time.

_Palidor…!_

In response, Palidor began to move somewhat faster. It only fueled her curiosity and the unexplained burning desire inside her. Had she been a more sensible girl, she might have wondered why she felt this desire…and why it continued to grow in her more unnaturally. But for now, she only knew that the voice was leading her farther up. And so she went, her lone footsteps still echoing against the stone tunnel. All else was still. There wasn't another soul anywhere. She continued to climb, going higher and higher up. More entrances passed her by, and she began to realize where she was headed…some place that only the adults were allowed.

_Palidor!_

The voice was almost a harsh command now. It arrested any resistance inside of the girl. She had to keep going. And so she did. She continued her ascension, going higher and higher. At last, she reached the end of the hall. When she did, there was only one entrance left…and it was indeed where she could not go: the meeting place. But it was no longer in her power to resist. The voice would not be denyed, and its power over her drew her on more than ever. She continued to climb until she reached the top. And then, she turned and entered the room.

_Palidor!_

The inside was still and cold…more so than it should have been. It was dark too, though it had been lit up. The lights were dimmed down and it seemed especially still within. The only thing other than her and the places for the adults in the room was the large crystal in the center. Palidor stopped at the entrance for a moment, and looked inside. She didn't move…but she felt that her heart was now racing. Her wings were sweating. She was definitely nervous now…and fear was beginning to come in too. Despite everything, she was getting scared. She wanted to leave, and yet she couldn't.

_Palidor!_

The bird esper saw it this time. It came from the center…from the crystal. When the voice spoke, the crystal seemed to turn and swirl light within it. Something was there. Palidor blinked at it a moment…and remembered what had happened earlier. The dragons had all left messages for the adults there. But now, it seemed, a message was for her too. And so…she began to step forward to it, her curiosity rising again, putting down her fear momentarily.

_Palidor._

The voice was softer now. It seemed to be more at ease now that she was coming. And it was more inviting as well now. And so, Palidor kept walking. She grew closer and closer to the shimmering crystal. It began to shimmer more now, swirling with lights within even more potently than before. At last, Palidor stood before it. She halted there, and stared at it a moment.

_Touch me…_

The bird esper hesitated. Inviting as the voice was, soft as it had become again…she was still wary. She raised a wing, but did not put it on it. She held a moment longer. But then, she thought…it had to be just a message. Nothing more than that. Something for her. So she lowered her wing a little…held it again right above the crystal, quivered a bit…and then finally put it down and rested it on the crystal surface. Immediately, a warm feeling washed over her in response. It felt good, like a nice hot bath. Palidor smiled in response. She closed her eyes…and focused on it. The voice spoke again, softly within her.

_Today is the day of birthing…_ It said. Palidor kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the feeling for a moment more.

Then, abruptly, the voice turned vicious and cruel, and harshly snapped within her.

_…And you will be the vessel of my rebirth!_

Palidor's eyes shot open as the cold, heartless voice pierced her head. Her eyes filled with terror. Then, in a flash, the warm feeling turned horribly, horrible hot. It was like lava had suddenly poured into Palidor's veins. The bird esper arched in agony. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She could say nothing. Her body burned. Red heat began to gather around her. A cloud of energy whipped around her body, and the ground began to shake and tremble. The room turned darker, and the air grew charged. A moment after…and an icy feeling pervaded her next. The cloud turned blue, and Palidor felt like ice. Her whole body turned so cold and freezing that it choked her breath, dried her eyes, and turned the blood in her veins to rock. Yet that lasted only a moment too…before the aura turned yellow. Now, electricity snapped out of her body. It shot over to the walls and tore huge rifts into them. It splintered the floor and burned her feathers, blackening everything around her and arresting her of her senses. Her consciousness vanished. She blacked out…and the horrible, horrible pain vanished at last. Her body was thrown off the crystal and flung into the nearby wall. She smashed into it, but then rolled off and fell to the ground.

Somewhere, deep within the Planet…an evil voice laughed.

* * *

Bahamut could barely hold himself up at this point. He managed to throw himself out of the tunnel and lean against a wall. But other than that, he could do little other than stand there and pant. Perhaps Gilgamesh had been right. Perhaps this was a bad idea. He hadn't felt so drained since the time he split into the dragons. His heart was struggling to beat. His lungs were struggling to breathe. Even thinking too hard drained his reserves. His power had only been drained more and more as he had run out to the battlefield. Now, he doubted he could even muster the strength to perform a Pyrin, let alone anything that could do any real damage. He could barely focus on the ship before him.

The massive strange machine hovered on the ground for a moment. But then, it turned to one side and spotted Bahamut. If possible, the giant machine seemed to actually focus on him, as if it had eyes to see. Bahamut panted and glared back at it. It was made of metal and looked hard and formidable. What was worse…he now felt his own power inside it as well as the powers of the four others. That combined to make an opponent of inconceivable strength. All of them had improved since the fight with Griever. All of them were powerful. And now, this thing appeared to have all their powers within it. And it had just spotted Bahamut.

This definitely hadn't been a good idea.

The thing turned its blades of metal, and then shot over to the king of the espers. It halted and hovered in mid-air right in front of him. It was massive…easily bigger than Bahamut or any of the others. However, he frowned up at it, and managed to at least sound bold.

"Alright…whatever you are. I'm giving you just one chance to surrender…"

The machine responded by extending black, shining, metal tendrils from within it. It extended them out and arched them over to Bahamut. The esper saw this. He struggled to rise, but no strength was left in him to do it. He could only lay there. The tendrils closed in closer and closer, and eventually were just a foot from Bahamut. But then…abruptly…they stopped. They halted right in mid-air. Bahamut looked puzzled at this, but some sort of machinery moved within the airship. Finally…it spoke out, in a cold, strange, metal-sounding voice.

**"REMAINING ENERGY INSUFFICIENT. OPTIMAL ENERGY DRAIN ALREADY ACHIEVED. RETRACTING."**

With that, the airship pulled its cables back in. After that, it backed up a bit, and lowered itself to the ground more. Bahamut blinked for a moment, but then raised his head and stared at the airship. This latest turn was confusing. "What…are you?"

**"DESIGNATE: BAHAMUT."** The thing responded. **"I AM AUTOMATED RESISTANCE KILLER, DESIGNATE: A.R.K. YOU AND ALL ESPERS OF MATURE AGE ARE MY OBJECTIVES FOR ELIMINATION."**

Bahamut frowned in reply to that. He struggled to look tougher, but his energy was still gone. "And who sent you, Ark?"

**"DISPATCHING INFORMATION IS IRRELEVANT. MY OBJECTIVE IS TO ELIMINATE ALL ESPERS THROUGH STANDARD PROTOCOL OF FIRST NEUTRALIZING THEIR POWERS AND THEN DISPOSE OF WHAT IS LEFT."**

Bahamut continued to look irritated at that. "You are, eh?" He asked the machine. "I'm just refuse to you? Well, I've got news for you, buddy. I don't go down without a fight."

**"RESISTANCE IS HOPELESS."** Arc simply replied. **"YOUR CURRENT ENERGY IS AT ROUGHLY 0.7 OF OPTIMAL POWER. MY PROGRAMMING DIRECTIVE INSTRUCTS ME TO ABSORB ENERGY OF ALL OPPONENTS PRIOR TO COMBAT TO ENSURE SUCCESS. I NOW CONTAIN THE COMBINED ENERGIES OF DESIGNATE: BAHAMUT, LEVIATHAN, OGOPOGO, ODIN, AND STARLET. ODDS OF VICTORY ARE CURRENTLY 65,324 TO 1 OF YOUR SUCCESS."**

Bahamut didn't change. "I've beaten the odds before. It doesn't matter what power you have, but how you can utilize it."

Ark didn't seem to think much of that. Instead…the airship lowered itself to the ground after hearing that. Then…to Bahamut's surprise, the thing began to change. Abruptly, its propellers turned inward. It split its main mast down the middle. Its inner workings moved around and altered. Parts of it were swung into its interior. Other parts of it were swung out in response. But through the whole transformation, Bahamut was noticing something. The thing was going from being a ship to being a gigantic humanoid shape. It seemed vaguely to look like something in armor, but it looked more like a giant, misshapen man of metal in more appropriate terms. Its length became its height, and now it stood far taller than before. The last few places fixed in place, and now it was a towering item of power, and stood on the ground like a normal creature. What more, its utilization of the five powers in it had increased. It was much, much stronger than before. Bahamut suppressed his fear on the inside. He had to not show it. Before, he had been bluffing. He knew full well he didn't have to strength by a longshot to fight this thing. But now, the odds had been blown away. Unfortunately, Ark confirmed that.

**"ODDS OF VICTORY ARE NOW 200,698 TO 1 OF YOUR SUCCESS."**

With that, the thing stepped forward and began the attack.

* * *

To be continued...


	6. Ark

I'm sorry I didn't get a chapter posted last night, but a tragedy happened in this family. My dog of 14 years, Bitsy, who was infected with an advanced case of either leukemia or lymphoma, was put to sleep this morning. I didn't want to get on the computer last night, but spend the last few hours with her. This may seem kind of corny to you all, especially those of you who might think Bitsy is kind of a dumb name, but I'm dedicating this story to her.

See you around, Bitsy the Wonder Dog.

* * *

Gilgamesh finally reached the end of the tunnel. However, he had no sooner stepped out into the moonlight when he froze. Immediately, he stepped back and pushed himself against the stone wall. The other espers ran forward, but he quickly turned to them and held his arm out, indicating for them to get back. Slowly, they all ground to a halt and did as they were told. Each one snapped back and laid against the back wall. And for good reason. Already, the fight had broken out on the other side. And it totally blew away the earlier tournament battles.

Gilgamesh peaked his head around the side, and watched the chaos. The airship had changed, turning into a giant armored man. And now, it was attacking Bahamut. One of its giant claws had grabbed him, and was slamming him into things left and right, throwing him into the rock wall and then to the ground. It had fires coming out from under its feet. Somehow, it was moving using them, seeming to walk on the air as it ran. Abruptly, it snapped around, swinging its entire upper body in a circle, and flung Bahamut into the cliff. He smashed against it, so hard that the rocks shattered underneath him and debris rained down. Bahamut soon slid down weakly and pained looking. Not stopping, however, the giant shot forward and began to pound Bahamut in the stomach, swinging his fists into it again and again. Bahamut was already looking cut and bruised, but now he began to spit out blood.

"This is really bad…" Gilgamesh moaned at the sight, his eyes filling with fear. "They've already started…Bahamut can't even fight back."

"Ah, how tough could it be?" Ifrit asked. He too turned the corner and looked. He watched the horrific battle for a fraction of a second…and immediately he seemed to turn a shade white. His grin faded and he gulped.

Shiva smiled at him slyly. "Still want to fight him, tough guy?"

Ifrit blinked in astonishment. However, he swallowed in the end, and backed off. "Uh…um…" He stammered for a moment. Then, in the end, he turned to Gilgamesh, and eagerly motioned to him. "Let's…let's let Gilgamesh do his thing. Yeah."

Gilgamesh licked his lips in reply. In truth, he never had tried this. He only read about it. He had to hope he could pull off some of his mother's abilities. If not, they were all going to be sunk. That thing was strong…much stronger than it had been before. It could crush them all in a snap. This was their only hope. Quickly, he recalled the thing to mind, and then motioned for the others.

"Ok…everyone, get against the wall…and…uh…close your eyes and focus. Try to…let go of your energy…let it up…just relax and let it flow…or something."

"Or something?"

"Just do it!"

The espers sighed, but then did as they were told. Each one closed their eyes. Each one relaxed and tried to let go. But some were a lot worse at it than others.

"Titan…close your eyes. Close your eyes…Titan…Titan!"

"Peekaboo!"

"Yes, yes, Peekaboo. But now…um…look, a monster!"

"Ahh! Monster!"

"That's better."

"Ifrit, you're not relaxing."

"Sure I am. This is me relaxed."

"You need to do better. Close your eyes and your mouth. Breathe deep."

"Do I have to? This is a lot of work…"

"Just do it!"

"Sigh…"

It took a few moments, during which Gilgamesh heard the body of Bahamut continue to be thrown around like a rag doll outside. That made him more nervous than before. But finally, all of them were ready. He too closed his eyes and relaxed. He needed to give up his own power as well, after all. With that done, he tried to think of what to do next. What was it? Oh…yeah… He had to try and concentrate on them all, and give it to Bahamut. And so, Gilgamesh turned and faced the older esper. He prayed that it would work, and then tried to focus again. He attempted to reach out, and feel the auras of everyone else.

At first, he felt nothing. He tried to think of doing this, but it was no good. He was only imagining it, not really doing it. He tried again to reach out to them, but again he only thought of it and didn't do it. Groaning inside, he focused again. This time, he tried to sense the auras instead. That worked…but to actually pull on them was something else. He had to focus hard to do it. And so, he bit his lip, clenched his eyes, and tried to focus only on the power. He grunted for a moment…strained…sweat… He finally felt the energy moving a little…but the shock of that interrupted him, and he let it go. The power went flowing back to the others, and they were back to square one. Outside, Bahamut continued to have the life beat out of him.

Gilgamesh groaned. He yelled at himself to focus. He balled his hands into fists and tried again. He grit his teeth and grinded them. He focused so hard he began to sweat and his body began to quiver. He struggled as hard as he could to extend his sense to do more…to reach out and touch the auras. He focused and focused hard, struggling to shut everything else out…just grab them and use them. Finally, his grip contacted them again. He forced himself not to be surprised this time, and just held them. It took a few moments to balance it out…but then he began to pull on it. Slowly, quivering, barely containing it…it began to pull out. Gilgamesh felt wonderful, and he began to raise his hand…only to lose his grasp and lose it all again, throwing himself back to start.

Gilgamesh wanted to rip his hair out. He was growing frustrated now. He tried to focus again, but he was so frustrated it was useless. The others began to grow impatient. They began to fidget and shift.

"Are you done yet?" Ifrit asked.

"Not yet…" Gilgamesh groaned.

"Hurry it up!"

"Shut up! This is harder than it looks!"

"This is hard too!"

"Just keep it up!"

Gilgamesh groaned and sighed. He had to calm down. And so, he paused for a few moments just to breathe deep, to get his balance back. It took him a little while, but finally he was calm enough to try again. Then, he attempted to pull on the energy once more. It was hard, but he was used to what he had to do now, and so he was able to get in his groove easily. Soon, he was focusing harder than ever, and his effort was paying off. The energy came forth again. Gilgamesh forced himself to shut all else out. Slowly, he raised his hand again. This time, he managed to hold on to it. He had to stop frequently, because it nearly slipped again and again. But he did get it up. Now…as his hand rose…he just had to focus on Bahamut.

"AH!"

Abruptly, the king of espers cried out in pain. Gilgamesh snapped his eyes open…and immediately totally lost his focus. Everything went back again. The esper would have cursed at this in fury, except for the fact that he didn't have time. The airship monster had just smashed Bahamut down on his knee. He had let the esper fall and arch in pain from the attack, writhing helplessly on the ground in his low power state. The airship monster then leaned over and seized him by the neck. He began to pull him up off the ground, and from the looks of it…it was ready to give the final blow.

Gilgamesh's white skin turned whiter. He was running out of time. He had to give Bahamut their power, and fast. But he had no time to focus again…and definitely no time to screw up again. He had to do it now…fast…and not fail again.

* * *

This was useless. 

Bahamut couldn't even lift a finger against the monster. His power had faded. All he could do was live enough to scream in pain as the thing slowly beat him to death. It was hopeless. He simply didn't have any power to fight. And no espers were around to help him this time. He was drained. In addition, his body was getting too beaten as well. He was in a lot of pain now, and as such could only hang down like a limp rag as Arc raised him up in one massive hand.

He looked weakly at the monster, right into its soulless glass eyes, showing no warmth or life or anything. He couldn't understand it. The thing seemed to have no power other than what it had stolen, none of its own. What was it? It didn't really matter. All that mattered right now was that he was about to die…and he had to think of something. But there was nothing he could do. He had no power left…not even to stall him long enough to escape. He couldn't do anything but stare. As he did, he saw the creature's chest. Abruptly, two metal panels opened on its chest, sliding the metal into its chest as it did. Two holes were inside…and they both began to glow a white light. Bahamut's eyes began to widen, focusing on them as they began to make a whining sound, no doubt forming an attack…

"Lord Bahamut!"

Ark made a whirring sound as it turned and looked behind it. Bahamut likewise turned to the voice. What they both soon saw was in the tunnel...Gilgamesh. He held his hand at the both, and waved up with his other. "Lord Bahamut! We gave you our power! Fight him!"

**"DESIGNATE: GILGAMESH."** Ark responded. **"LOWER POWERED, UNDERDEVELOPED ESPER CLASS. STATUS: NON-THREAT."**

"Then why don't you worry more about me?"

Ark turned back around to the sound of that voice, facing Bahamut again.

WHAM

Moments later, the massive machine was shot off of its feet and sent sailing through the air backward toward the cliffs. Gilgamesh gulped and quickly ducked inside. As for Ark, it nearly crashed into the rock, its head turned to one side and knocked back. But then, it managed to halt itself in mid-air right before reaching the cliff. It turned back and glared at what had struck it.

Bahamut now hovered in mid-air as well. His body was fully erect and strengthened again. His fist, tightened and straight, was still extended out from where he had jabbed Gilgamesh right in the face, sending him flying back. He glared at it now, his eyes burning with new strength and power as he flew, now fully ready for battle.

Ark whirred and turned back around, facing Bahamut again. **"YOUR ENERGY HAS UNEXPECTEDLY BEEN RESTORED. IT IS IRRELEVANT. I ALREADY POSSESS YOUR POWER IN ADDITION TO THAT OF FOUR ADDITIONAL ESPERS."**

Bahamut glared coldly in reply. "Didn't you hear what I told you? It doesn't matter how much power you have, if you don't know how to use it. Or would you like me to demonstrate?"

Ark didn't answer. Suddenly, a white light appeared in the middle of it. Moments later, a great disk of energy erupted from its chest and began to curve toward the esper. Bahamut glared at it, but didn't bother reacting immediately. Finally, as it was about to hit him, he did move to one side and let it sail by, striking into the cliffs behind him instead. But apparently Arc controlled it, rather like Leviathan's attack. It came out behind him a moment later, shooting straight for him from behind. Bahamut had fortunately fought with Leviathan before, and was aware of that attack. He dodged it again, moving to one side. The ring came around and attempted to hit him again, but once more Bahamut moved, letting the disk go back into the rock wall.

Having had enough of this, Bahamut shot upward into the sky at full speed. Ark looked up and focused on him. First, it called back the disk and locked it back in itself. After that, it fired out the flames from beneath it once more and shot after the esper. Both went up for a few moments, until Bahamut cleared the crater and hovered over the mountain. Arc quickly followed afterward, and soon cleared as well. It stayed opposite Bahamut, however, and once it reached the same level it stopped. Both paused for a moment, looking at each other and doing nothing.

Then, the metal man finally fired off the two light bolts from its chest. Two beams of light immediately curved and shot straight for the esper before it. Bahamut saw them come and didn't react immediately. But then, as they neared, he merely crossed his arms in front of himself and blocked. Moments later, the two lasers hit his arms, and erupted into white explosions. Bahamut grit his teeth as heat and energy washed over him. A burning force impacted on his arms and rocked powerfully. The push was strong, but Bahamut braced himself and managed to hold back against the blast. Finally, it died down. And the moment it did, Bahamut dropped his arms, looked at Ark, opened his mouth, and fired a Pyrin at it.

But Ark was reacting as well. The massive machine shot forward straight for Bahamut. It saw the Pyrin coming, and immediately put its own arm up. But instead of striking the arm, the Pyrin exploded into a fiery ball a bit early. Bahamut's look turned to puzzlement at this. It seemed as if the sky had shimmered and turned an electric purple, as if some sort of wave or invisible surface was around the thing and the Pyrin had impacted on it. That caused it to blow up before reaching it. But Bahamut could only focus on this a moment, for Ark still shot forward to the esper. On reaching him, it immediately swung one of its giant fists to hook Bahamut in the face.

The esper didn't fall to the ground, but he still had his face snapped violently to one side. The thing immediately punched him the other way, sending his face flying back. It did this again and again, smacking Bahamut's head up and down in response, all before moving down and beating him repeatedly in the stomach. He pounded him so fast in the chest that one couldn't even see how fast he was striking. All of this was before he uppercutted the esper, sending him flying down to the ground. Not finished, Ark watched him fall, and then straightened itself up in the air. It stretched out its arms and legs and hovered for a moment. Then, a whirring and clicking sound was heard, and both of its shoulder suddenly detached and opened. Underneath, a series of cylinders with caps on the ends came out and locked into place. The thing faced the falling Bahamut and watched him go.

Suddenly, red light began to shine from within the shoulders. A whining sound came out, and it quickly grew high pitched. A sizzling followed, like burning or electricity. Then, in a flash, the cylinders all erupted, one after the other, and shot straight at Bahamut. Each one spewed out a line of fire behind it as it tore out of Ark's shoulder and sailed for the falling esper.They connected with him as he was falling…and immediately, each cylinder exploded. Massive balls of fire erupted in the sky. A thunderous echo was sent throughout the air. Violent tremors rocked below. The crater farther below splintered and dropped some rocks below from the rim. But horrible, bright red light raged everywhere as a firestorm blasted in the sky. The world was lit up as the light brightened up all around from miles. It was a horribly strong attack, and the black smoke that occurred from it made a massive tower in the air.

Finally, the attack was over. Ark loosened itself and straightened out, and its shoulders collapsed back again. It looked down to the black smoke and watched it fade, expecting to see nothing. The fires died out, the wind blew, and the blackness began to fade away. Still Ark looked, expecting to see that nothing was left. That attack should have been more than sufficient to destroy Bahamut's power. It just needed to scan to confirm it.

However, its scan did register at last…and it gave bad news. Moments later, the visual confirmed it.

Bahamut hovered in mid-air, a bit blackened, a tiny bit bloodied…and still glaring coldly at Ark. He barely looked affected from all the blows he had received. And he still appeared more than ready to fight, and more than ready to destroy Ark.

**"ERROR."** Ark announced. **"CALCULATIONS INADEQUATE. INTENDED BLAST INSUFFICIENT."**

Bahamut smiled in response. "My turn."

In a flash, Bahamut shot forward. Using his wings, he propelled himself more strongly than before and sailed straight for Ark. The thing glared at him, and tried to react…but Bahamut was too fast for it. Bahamut extended his fist, and smashed it hard into Ark's "face" as it shot into the air. The metal man's head was snapped back in response, and its whole body was thrown up through the air. Bahamut followed up by giving it his own pound in the stomach, so hard that metal grinded and it snapped over on itself. Finally, Bahamut swung around and gave the thing a tail slap, and soon its whole body was sent down toward the ground again, on the other side of Terratopolis.

Ark spun uncontrollably for a few moments…but then somehow righted itself. It twisted around and balanced in mid-air, and then halted. Its feet burned again, and it prepared to shoot back. But it was too late. Bahamut was already on it, and he locked arms with the large machine. Both of them grabbed each other, and both pushed for a moment. Bahamut glared at the thing and flapped his wings. Ark glared back and blasted more heat from underneath it. Both buckled and turned. Both quivered and struggled under each other for a moment. But in the end, one did break. Abruptly, Bahamut gave a yell and pitched forward. Ark was ripped off of its balance and was thrown into a bent position, and soon was being thrust down back first to the ground. Bahamut put more speed in, pushing them faster and faster…until at last they did hit the ground. Not stopping, Bahamut kept pushing against the thing. After smashing it into the ground, it now pushed it through the ground. A huge trench was cut into the earth as Bahamut shoved. Hepushed Ark onward, until at last they reached a rock. Then, Bahamut smashed him into it as hard as he could. Ark snapped back in a sign of damage in response.

But the metal man wasn't done. Ark responded by bringing its fist down on Bahamut's head, smashing down on the esper. Bahamut was sent falling to the ground…for a moment. Before he even hit, he sprang up, spun around, and smashed his heel into the thing's side. The metal was dented and smashed in, and sparks flew out. In response, the thing, now crackling and hissing, brought its first forward and punched Bahamut in the face. This had enough power to send the esper flying back from it. Immediately, it opened its laser cannons and fired again at the esper. But Bahamut too managed to right himself. He halted his body, flipped in the air, and then planted his feet on the ground. He held his hands up, and then made a slapping gesture with both as the lasers approached. Immediately, the energy beams were slapped aside, curving behind Bahamut and striking elsewhere. Afterward, he opened his mouth, aimed at Arc, and fired once again another Pyrin. The blast shot forward and landed right inside one of Ark's laser cannon barrels. Moments later, a fiery explosion erupted from inside one of Ark's panels. Flaming debris exploded from the hole. The corresponding shoulder popped open…and immediately broke off as fire and sparks shot from the new gapingblast in the metal man.

**"WARNING. CRITICAL DAMAGE TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY WEAPON."**

Yet Ark still didn't give up. The great metal beast shoved its legs behind him, and then erupted into another set of fire. Immediately, its body ripped off from the rock and went sailing at its fastest speed yet to Bahamut. Bahamut responded though. He crouched, focused, and then took off as well. He extended his own fist out and sailed straight for Ark. The machine's fist was longer and bigger though. It seemed as if its appendage would land a lot sooner. Except as the two thundered to one another…it became evident that Bahamut wasn't going after its face. It was going after the arm that was headed for him. Moments later, both of their fists connected, and a sound like thunder clashed out from the result…

…as Bahamut's fist tore right through Ark's arm. It was like a person throwing themselves through a pile of dried leaves. Bahamut's fist started at the fist of Ark, and on impact first dented it inward and then shattered it. Metal erupted and flew everywhere. Sparks followed behind it. Pieces of twisted metal and strange devices flew everywhere. But Bahamut's arm kept moving. It tore further into the machine, tearing deeper and deeper into it. It went down the arm, shattering it more all the way, sending pieces of metal and debris flying everywhere. It did not stop until Bahamut reached the shoulder, and finally tore through to the other side. As he shot by Ark, a long trail of shattered, destroyed, warped metal flew up in a cloud behind him, all that was left of the thing's arm.

Ark instantly halted and froze. The pieces of its limb fell to the ground a moment later. Its arm sizzled and snapped. Sparks flew from it and wires went this way and that. Pieces of metal dangled and moved within the socket. Bahamut himself halted his body, planted his feet, and then turned around and glared at Ark. His look was still cold and icy, unchanged in resolve. The metal man looked down to its socket, and spoke out again. As it did, its voice modulated frequently, as if it kept losing its voice.

**"WARNING. HEAVY DAMAGE DETECTED. 19.2 PERCENTOF SYSTEM DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. BATTLE CAPABILITY DECREASED 23.9 PERCENT. POWER OUTPUT DOWN 36.4 PERCENT. SEEK REPAIR IMMEDIATELY."**

With that, Ark turned and faced Bahamut again. At this, it crackled and spat from within, then spoke again. **"DATA ERROR. READINGS DO NOT COMPUTE. DESIGNATE: BAHAMUT SHOULD NOT POSSESS THIS STRENGTH. BATTLE CAPABILITY OF DESIGNATE: BAHAMUT EXCEEDS MODEL PARAMETERS."**

"Do me a favor…and shut up." Bahamut coldly responded to the thing.

The machine held for a few moments. It seemed to be thinking of what to do next. Inside, it was calculating its options and what course to take. But in the end, it could make only one choice. Abruptly, it turned away from Bahamut, blazed the fires out of its feet, and began to take off into the sky once again. As fast as it could go, it was soon headed away from the esper.

"No…there is no escape." Bahamut darkly responded. With that, he opened his mouth and focused. The ground shook beneath him. The sky darkened again. His eyes began to blaze, and his mouth filled with light of fire as he gathered his strength. Finally, he opened his wings up and snapped his head back, all the while still focusing on the fleeing Ark as he announced his move "MEGA-PYRIN!"

The massive attack immediately erupted forth as before. It wasn't as huge as the one that killed Crusader, but it didn't have to be. The huge chain of balls and fire stormed out in their normal wave, and sailed right for Ark. The metal man tried to put on more speed, but it was already at its limit, and Bahamut's attack was too fast for it. In the end, the wave overshadowed it…the red heat overwhelmed it…and the balls overshot it and blew up right on the thing's hull.

Bahamut looked in as the massive chain of explosions rocked the sky. Thunder crashed and the world shook below as the attack went off. He glared into the blazing fires and watched to see his result. Ark was thrown one way and another with the power of the burning blasts. Searing heat penetrated him. Shock crashes blasted its body and fragmented it. Pieces of him flew off left and right before it broke into smaller pieces. Its head blew away, and its limbs detached before its torso ripped into shreds. Not only that, but the heat was too hot for it. The metal blew into tiny pieces just to instantly be melted into nothing. The heat blasted so much that the metal was vaporized. There was nothing left. Ark was already reduced to atoms long before the fires subsided and the last explosion had gone off. But eventually it did. The sky continued to rock for a few moments. The ground shook and only slowly died down. The glow vanished, and the black smoke dissipated once again.

The black sky was clear. There was nothing left. Only a few specks of ash from the destroyed Ark fluttered down to the ground. The thing was totally destroyed. There was a change, however. The energies of the espers had been in that thing. And they lingered there for a moment after it was gone. But now…they began to flutter back down, and head back to their owners once again.

Bahamut glared at the wreck a few moments more. But then, he turned and began to fly back to Terratopolis without another thought.

* * *

"Ark has been totally destroyed." 

"I thought you said that Bahamut was well within threshold."

"There were unexpected changes. Bahamut had his power drained. Ark had drained all targets and so he ascended to phase two of the operation, converting into battle mode and eliminating them. But then somehow Bahamut's energy totally refilled. It wasn't able to drain in that form, but it wouldn't have mattered. At 100 percentenergy, Bahamut was more than capable of destroying Arc before his energy was back down to manageable levels."

"But he already had Bahamut's power plus the others."

"Yes…but machines have a hard time utilizing biological energy. What more, Bahamut's restored power was actually _greater_ than previously. And he seemed to have spurts of even higher points during battle. It looks as if despite the ease with which Bahamut dispatched Ark, he was only at 64 percent battle capability."

"Amazing…"

"So? Do we build a better unit and send it out?"

"Hardly. These eidolons have surprised us once. Now they'll be ready for us to send another. Besides, Ark already represented the pinnacle of our cybernetics. There are little to no improvements we could make. Even in the next hundred years of research and development, we don't expect to perfect any new type of energy usage and storage in that time."

"And the eidolons seem to have a lot more to them than meets the eye. Our only hope is to fight them at weakened levels. At full levels, anything could happen."

"Even worse. We were lucky this time. The eidolons didn't associate them with us…hopefully. If we send another, they might suspect we had something to do with it. Using the airship was a bad idea. Ark was the most advanced military machine we had among us. Any of our other defenses would be useless against an assault of the eidolons."

"An interesting point. What should we do?"

"Maintain our research for now. We're still generations away from needing results. Until then, let's handle the other problems we need to take care of on this world. There are other potential threats, however unlikely, than the eidolons."

"Very well. This problem will be put to one side…for now."

* * *

Starlet's eyes suddenly opened. She blinked for a few moments, and then turned and began to rise off of the floor. She turned and looked around the room in response, putting her hand to her head and rubbing it. Had she missed something? That had been strange… She had felt so tired and drained. Gilgamesh had run in to tell her something, but…she had blacked out shortly after that. She seemed to have totally passed out. She had felt so weak and exhausted… But that was over now. She felt better than ever. However, she was wondering what was going on now. She had awakened into a strange situation. 

As she looked around the room, she saw that the beds were empty. All of the children were out. But she remembered that much. She had put them all to bed last night. So they should all still be there…unless it was morning. Was it morning? Perhaps it was. But she couldn't hear them either. What had happened? She tried to remember… She did remember putting them to bed and sitting down. She remembered being tired, but she was also eager for the birthing time. She had waited and waited for that…struggling to stay up. But she had fallen asleep… Starlet gasped at the thought. Did that mean that she missed it?

Quickly, Starlet rose to her feet. She dashed out of the room and headed straight for the fusion area. Her body twitched with nervousness. What if she missed it? Then what? What could she do? She'd have to wait another fifty years, and she didn't want to do that. She had been planning for a new baby for five years now, and she couldn't afford to wait. She ran faster and faster, headed straight for the chamber. At last, she reached it, and immediately she rounded the corner and went inside.

She froze on entrance. No one was there. Not a soul was present, and there were no signs of use. Starlet blinked and looked around, trying to see signs for anything. She couldn't tell what had happened. Had they already used it? Or had they not even come yet? Starlet couldn't tell. There was nothing there to indicate it. Starlet looked up to the opening, but saw nothing but darkness. It was still night at any rate. Starlet sighed and paused there, standing in the doorway.

The female esper hesitated for a moment. She thought over the area. Everything was ready. Things were set up for a fusion or separation. Looking over this, she began to think. Not everyone was needed for a separation. Only one person was needed for it. And everything was set up already… Everyone could have already gone. Or they couldn't have yet. But of the second of the two, it was already getting late. It was the time for birthing. And she didn't need any assistance. If they already went, well…shouldn't she? She had to do it sometime. Perhaps…perhaps, she should just go right now. Just get it over with. There'd be times for others. It would only take a moment… In the end, she decided to go for it. Why not?

Giggling a little to herself at her turn of independence, Starlet moved out into the center square. No one had done a separation yet, but it didn't matter. She had reached her own Omniapex. She knew all the knowledge the Planet had set out for her as well. And so, she moved into the center and stood there, quivering a bit with excitement. Once she stood there, she paused and thought for a moment. What should she pick? Wisdom? She wasn't too big on that aspect. Courage? No, she liked that part of herself as well. The only thing that was left was power. She didn't like the idea of being as weak as Bahamut when it happened to him. However, she valued the parts of her mind. And so, she decided that was the best thing to do. She realized she had to do it correctly this time. Otherwise, her offspring would be below espers just like the dragons were. And so, she closed her eyes and began to draw within herself.

It didn't seem to be too hard. She felt within for a few moments before she found her aura. Once there, she focused a bit harder. By doing so, she moved out the other aspects of herself, and attempted to isolate her power. It took her a little while to do that, but it was still fairly easy. Soon, she had that grasped as well. She asserted her hold on it, focusing and holding strong. Then, after pausing for a few moments to get her bearings, she began to form it within her. Concentrate it…make it its own separate entity. It took a bit of starting out, but then began to happen.

Starlet nearly yelped for joy as she felt the forms beginning to grow within her. It was just like when she was pregnant with Gilgamesh, only faster. She continued to focus and pull on it, expecting her body to start shrinking any time now. Strangely enough, she didn't feel that at all. She felt the same as before. Perhaps Bahamut had done it wrong, and that's why he had grown so small. But Starlet kept focusing, kept drawing out the power from within her. As she did, she felt a little peculiar. She seemed to be a bit more unbalanced than before… And her clothes were getting a little tight around her… She tried to ignore it, but as she kept going, she felt her clothes get very tight. In fact, they choked her a little…before ripping. She continued to feel very odd and lopsided. The weakness did come, but she didn't feel skinny at all. Still, she kept focusing, puzzled by all this, but more concerned with the creatures growing inside her. She kept pouring out her power, feeling all of these things continue to a larger and larger degree. But then, at last, she had finished. She felt the last bit of her power go into them, and she still felt pretty conscious…albeit weird.

Starlet didn't care. She felt them already rising within her, coming to her own mouth. And so, she immediately opened her mouth and let them come. They weren't big and round like Bahamut's eggs. On the contrary…she soon saw much smaller things come out. One by one, four little creatures emerged and fanned out before her. They were very odd looking. They appeared to be humanoid like Starlet, yet they glowed with a strange livid green light. Each one of them had a crop of green hair, and they had little green wings as well like butterfly wings, which they flapped around with. Two small antenna were on each of their heads as well. They fluttered around on emerging, turning and flapping around one another. But Starlet yelped for joy again. She scanned their minds, and found, to her amazement, not only did they have true esper nature within them, but they were already at the point of maturity. Though newborn, they were already farther along than any of the kids.

"Oh…look at you!"

The four fluttering beings halted at that, and they all turned to Starlet. They seemed a bit surprised on seeing her, but Starlet thought that only typical. She was, after all, a giant compared to them.

"Who are you?" One of them piped in a small little voice.

"I'm your mother!" Starlet cheerily responded. "Look how precious you are! And you're already so smart! Oh…I'll call you all Sylph!"

"You're our mother?" Another asked incredulously.

"Yes, yes!" Starlet answered. "We're going to have so much fun! You have everything you need here! I'll braid your hair and make you little dresses, and we can tend to the flowers and play games…"

Abruptly, the four Sylph broke out into chittering laughter. They fell backward in mid-air, grasping their bellies, and somersaulted around to laugh some more. One pointed at Starlet and laughed even harder. They closed their eyes and cried. Starlet was taken aback at this. Her smile faded and she grew concerned. Their laughter wasn't good hearted or joyful…it was mocking and teasing. She hadn't heard laughter like that since she was a child. But they only laughed at her in that cruel voice all the more.

"Yeah right!" One of them called at last. "Like we'd run around with you?"

"You're big as a whale!" One cried back.

"And ugly as a cow!" Another added.

"More like a cow's behind!" Another corrected.

"Or a cow's refuse!"

They giggled all the more because of that. Their tones were biting and cruel, mocking and without pity. Starlet looked at them in concern at this, but was also puzzled at what they were saying. As they kept laughing, she began to feel a bit pained inside, and she grew upset with them. Her previous adoration began to fade.

"Stop that! Stop that at once!" She called to them.

"Oh yeah?" One of them teased in response, as they all stopped laughing. She fluttered over, grabbed a lock of Starlet's hair, and tugged it hard. Starlet yelped in pain in response. Another came up and pinched her hard on the cheek. Still another flicked her hard in the ear.

"What are you going to do about it? You're so fat you can't even move!"

"We'd never hang around with an overstuffed sack of lard like you!"

"We're leaving to see what other fun we can have!"

"So long chubby!"

"Fatty!"

"Cow's butt!"

"Pig's face!"

"Blubber girl!"

After teasing Starlet again, to which the esper was both frustrated…as well as hurt by what her children were doing…they stuck their tongues out of her and began to fly away. Starlet called out to them, and tried to move to stop them. But it was useless. She couldn't move. Her power was gone, and she couldn't budge and inch. And so, laughing to each other and spinning around each other, the Slyph fluttered up to the opening in the ceiling. They all flew out as one from it. Starlet heard them flying a bit more, but then they were gone. The room was silent again.

"Wait!" She cried. She was hurt by them, wondering how they could be so cruel. But her mother's instinct settled in, and she now was worried about losing them. She struggled to move, but it was useless. However…as she moved…she realized, all of the sudden, that she didn't seem restricted because of just being weak. Her muscles weren't the problem. It seemed…she had suddenly gotten much heavier. She seemed much more awkward as well, and felt a bit large… Her clothing had ripped, yet it didn't seem to be hanging off of her. She realized she hadn't exactly looked at herself until now… And so, she looked down, fully expecting to see her body as thin as a rail.

That wasn't what she saw.

"AAAAAH!"

* * *

Leviathan opened his eyes and groaned for a moment. He blinked a few times, but then lifted his head. To his amazement, his head moved easily. And he felt fine. All of his tiredness had vanished, and his power felt better than ever. He felt more than capable of producing a Tsunami now. However, to his surprise, the airship wasn't around anymore. No one was around. He looked from side to side a bit, before turning his head back to the river. As he did, he saw that Ogopogo was recovering as well. He too raised his head from the ground and looked up in puzzlement. He seemed confused in much the same way. 

"Uh…what happened?" He asked.

"Beats me." Leviathan answered. He focused for a moment, and scanned the area. "Odin's power has moved away. And I feel as healthy as ever."

Right after saying that, however, both Leviathan and Ogopogo turned their heads to a new arrival. They heard a rush of wings overhead, and soon saw a shadow descending. On turning, they soon saw that Bahamut had returned. Right now, he was coming down the opening to the mountain. Leviathan focused on him and scanned him, and saw that he looked cold and bold once again. His face was rough and focused. What more, Leviathan saw that he was a bit scoffed and bloodied. He had been in a fight. Bahamut hadn't even landed before Leviathan moved out of the lake and up to him. He immediately accosted him.

"Bahamut! Are you alright? There's this thing out here that attacked me and-"

"It's alright, Leviathan." Bahamut immediately cut off. "It's over."

Leviathan paused at that. He blinked in amazement for a moment. As for Ogopogo, he quickly came up afterward, looking rather surprised as well. "Really? You beat it?"

"There's nothing left of it." Bahamut simply replied. "And the energy it stole is returning to the people it took it from, obviously."

Leviathan hesitated, but then spoke in amazement. "Wow, Bahamut. You must be pretty strong. I found out the hard way that it drained energy from individuals, but it was draining the energy from all of us at once too. You had to have a lot of power to withstand it."

Bahamut hesitated at that, but then grinned. "Actually, I didn't have the power. I owe one to the guys over there."

Leviathan was surprised at this, but then saw Bahamut gesture over to one side. He turned and looked in response, as did Ogopogo. They saw that they were now focused on the tunnel leading out of the mountain. They saw nothing for a moment, but then, a white head peaked out from the side. Moments later, Gilgamesh came out and began to walk up to the others. After a moment, the rest of the espers followed him from behind. All of the kid espers except Palidor were there, and they quickly rushed up to the others. Leviathan rose his eyebrows in surprise. So, the little ones had already been able to help out? That was extraordinary to him. He was pleasantly surprised at them, and managed a smile.

"I wouldn't have won if it wasn't for you kids." Bahamut accredited them with a smile, reaching out and rubbing Gilgamesh's head with one of his claws.

Ifrit frowned and crossed his arms a bit. "Yeah, we helped out a little by giving up our energy…but I still think we should have tried to take that metal man ourselves."

"Don't talk crazy!" Ramuh yelped. "I just about fainted when I saw him turn to us!"

"Ah, you faint before everything."

Leviathan, however, was more amazed. "One of you managed to perform one of the energy transfers? And at this low level of ability?"

Gilgamesh blushed a little in response to this. He bowed his head and rubbed his foot against the ground. "Oh…it wasn't so hard…"

"Strange…it took you long enough." Shiva answered calmly to the side, making Gilgamesh frown a bit and look up to her.

"That's extraordinary, Gilgamesh." Leviathan reassured, making the younger esper look back to him. "I'm amazed that you perfected that ability, simply by hearing about how Starlet did it. Your father should be very proud of you."

Gilgamesh seemed to have mixed feelings in response to this. In part, he was happy about that response. But on the other hand, he was still upset about how his father had treated him. He knew Odin better than Leviathan. Odin wouldn't be happy, not if Gilgamesh hadn't destroyed the airship monster himself. And so, he managed a bittersweet smile for the moment, keeping the thoughts to himself. He respected his master as well, and felt he owed him respect.

"So where is Odin, anyway?" Ogopogo asked at last.

"Sense his energy." Bahamut answered. "He's still out there, but he should be getting up soon and heading back here." He paused a moment, looking over the kid espers. "What I'm more concerned about is where is Palidor?"

The group of kids just realized now that she was still gone, and that she hadn't come up to them at all during this interim. In another moment, they might have looked concerned. But before they could, abruptly they heard a female scream from within Terratopolis. They immediately turned and looked to the sight, and managed to track the screaming from coming up deep within Terratopolis. It was also unmistakable who it was. It was Starlet's voice. Immediately, the group turned concerned. Some, like Ramuh, began to grow fearful.

"Oh no…" Leviathan called. He sounded deeply worried, more so than before. An inner panic was in his voice.

"I thought you destroyed it?" Ifrit asked, turning to Bahamut.

"Maybe there's more than one…" Ogopogo gulped.

The thought of that turned Bahamut cold.

Leviathan focused again. After searching for a moment, he turned a shade pale. The others looked to him and saw this change. Immediately, they gulped as well. He spoke at last. "I can sense Starlet's power…and it's flying away from the area."

Immediately, Bahamut unfurled his wings. He turned to the others, and gave a cold command. "The rest of you, get back inside and check the area. I'm going after it. So long as I find it and destroy it quickly, I'll have the energy to stop it before it can get me."

However, Leviathan had his own command. He turned and looked to Ogopogo. "Take the kids and make sure they get back to their room ok."

"Aw!" Ifrit moaned.

"I'm going after Starlet." Leviathan answered.

"Let me look too!" Gilgamesh instantly protested.

But Leviathan turned to him sternly. "No, Gilgamesh. You already gave up your power to help Bahamut. You won't be in fighting shape. Neither will the rest of you."

"Damn!" Ifrit cursed.

"Hey, watch your mouth!" Ogopogo responded. However, he was grateful. He would rather tend to the kids then go out looking for a fight. And so, he gave a nod to Leviathan. "No problem, Leviathan. I'll take care of them."

Leviathan gave a nod, but didn't waste anymore time. He turned and quickly rushed back to the tunnel. He had grown ferociously fast in time. He moved like lightning now. In no time, he was already back inside, and shooting up it. He scanned out, trying to find where she was. He couldn't sense much, but he did find out where she might have been. It was farther upstairs. And so, he began to slither up the main hall as fast as he could. His thoughts shifted away from all of the other espers, and focused only on Starlet. A yearning grew inside him, one that was too strong to be denied.

As Leviathan got higher and higher, he began to sense something new. A slight bit of energy was still present, and he detected it as Starlet's. It was hard to pinpoint, but it was something. With renewed vigor, Leviathan rushed up even faster than before heading after the signature. Filled with earnest, he continued to ascend farther and farther, until he finally noticed something. Starlet's power was coming from the birthing chamber. With that focus in mind, he immediately rushed forward even faster than before. Like a flash, he shot through the corridors and made right for her place. Finally, he saw it just up ahead. He continued to rush toward it at first. But as he kept going, he began to slow down. He heard a gentle sobbing coming from the inside. It was constant and female, and he recognized it to be Starlet's voice. He continued to slither forward, until he reached the side of the doorway. Once there, he froze behind it for a moment.

"Starlet!" He called inside.

There was a bit more sobbing for a moment, but then it gradually leveled off. In response, a small, meek voice came out. "L…Leviathan?"

"Are you alright?" The esper insisted. "I'm coming in…"

"No!" Starlet immediately cried. "Don't come in here!"

Leviathan froze, but then quickly called out. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing…! Nothing at all!" Starlet called back. "I…I just…"

"What's the matter, Starlet?"

"I…er…" Starlet seemed uneasy. Finally, she lamented. "Well…oh, I might as well confess it… Leviathan…I tried to reproduce on my own. I did the separation technique. It worked…I broke off my power and I made four little flying espers…"

Hearing that, Leviathan felt a wave of relief come over him. So, another one of those airship things didn't exist. It had just been a reproduction. Despite Leviathan's antagonism to Starlet's idea of doing this, he was happy that this was the only problem. This could be dealt with. However, as Starlet continued, he heard her grow tearful again.

"They looked so perfect…but they were mean and cruel… They wouldn't listen to me when I told them to stay. They were so independent already. They made fun of me…then they flew off."

Leviathan sighed in reply. This was bad news, but not the worst. Still, that meant they were losing an esper, and that was something they hadn't heard of since Bahamut's children. These separations were independent to be sure… He didn't like how they had just left like that. However, it wasn't the end of the world. It was no reason to be so broken up. "It'll be ok, Starlet. We'll find them, but-"

"No…they had a reason to make fun of me…" Starlet continued, growing more uneasy and sad-sounding. "You see…I thought that separating my power would make me thin…like Bahamut. But it didn't. It…made me…well…" She trailed off here, and sounded on the verge of tears again.

Leviathan held for a moment. He stayed back for a little longer. But then, in the end, he decided he had to look sometime. Starlet wasn't saying anything. And so, he realized he had to go in. He licked his lips and trembled a moment. But then, at last, he turned the corner and looked inside.

Leviathan struggled to restrain his surprise…or laughter.

Starlet had grown grossly, grossly fat. She was gigantic. Her arms and legs had grown so fat that he could barely see her hands and feet. She had several chins now, ballooning around her head horribly. Her gut had expanded more than large enough to fit two Titans inside. Her eyes had sunk into the fat of her head and her mouth was stretched out like a frog face. It was shocking to behold. Leviathan couldn't believe that he had neverconsider the factthat losing one's power could make someone either horribly thin or grossly fat. But it was certainly feasible. At any rate, Starlet looked up at him. It was obvious that she had been crying, her fat face still streaked with tears. She bit her lip and looked nervously at Leviathan. The sea serpent himself licked his lips.

"Um…it's not so bad." He choked out with a weak shrug.

Starlet broke out into tears again. She bent her head in shame. "Admit it! I'm hideous!"

Leviathan winced and desperately tried to think of something. "Well…er…you'll get better. It'll just take a few months for you to lose the weight."

"I'm going to look like this for _months_!" Starlet cried in response. She sobbed more loudly than before.

Leviathan licked his lips again. He cringed and fidgeted uneasily. He wished he knew what to say, but in truth, this was the first time he was alone with Starlet that he could remember. Saying anything to her was a difficulty. He choked for a few moments, as Starlet continued to bow her head and cry.

"Starlet…" He managed to finally say. "Don't cry… Don't be sad." He paused for a moment. "You…you look fine."

Starlet continued to sob in response. "Oh…you're just saying that, Leviathan…" She choked out on a pause.

"…No." Leviathan answered after a moment, putting more boldness in his voice. It made Starlet ease up a bit on her crying. "No. I'm not just saying that… You still look fine." Another pause. "You always look fine…you always look beautiful. You always have."

Starlet continued to cry for a little longer, but slowed down. She sniffled a little, but began to look up on Leviathan's words. He continued afterward.

"You've been beautiful since the day you were born…" He went on, words seeming to begin to spill out of his mouth. "Your eyes were always that pretty blue…and your hair was always smooth…and your face was always so cute… And…and…you always had that little way of walking around and talking…and scolding us…and playing those little games…and even that way you looked whenever we squirted you with water…"

Starlet listened to all of this with some inner reaction. She smiled a bit and let out a little laugh on that last mention. However, Leviathan went on.

"And…and…and you always have been so nice to everyone… You've always been so considerate to people…and you always loved everyone so much… You take care of all the kids like they were your own…and you always care about what happens to any of us…and you always are trying to reach out… You have a smile that could brighten up anyone's day…make the sun shine on a cloudy day…and your voice can make birds sing…and sweeten honey…and…and…well, I'm just kind of rambling now…but…but you're so perfect. You're always perfect. And…and…" Leviathan tightened up and got nervous. He began to tremble. "And…you always are perfect…no matter what happens to you on the outside." Apause, and then suddenly a somewhat angry blurt."...And Odin never deserved you. He should have treated you better. He should have given you the respect you deserved. I…" He paused and swallowed again. He seemed really nervous about this part. However, after much reluctance, he managed to speak.

"I…I love you."

Starlet's eyes expanded considerably at that. Her tears cut off as she looked to the timid sea serpent. He twisted and turned more than ever now, afraid after saying that. He had presented his feelings to her, and now he was nervous about the result. He cringed and seemed more scared than ever before. Sweat began to spread over his brow. He trembled even worse than Starlet did. Starlet stared at him for a long time in response. She was a little shocked. She had never known Leviathan felt that way. And now, it had just spilled out in a flood within seconds. Leviathan had loved her for this long. She supposed she should have known it. He had been nervous around her for decades. He always blushed and sweated whenever she spoke to him. She had suspected a lot, but not this. She realized now that he was really, honestly, strongly in love with her.

But then, as she thought a little, she realized that it hadn't been that much of a surprise. Ever since the fight with Griever, Leviathan put himself in harm's way for her. He risked death in order to protect her in that fight. And since then, he had always supported her and been there for her. He always valued her opinion. He had always been good to her. And as Starlet thought on, she realized he had always been such a good esper…always so controlled and civil. And he was always so kind to her as well. Even now, he was desperate to make her feel better. Hearing all of this, Starlet's inner pain lessened somewhat. The fatness was bad, but the real thing that upset her were Sylph's biting comments. But now, hearing Leviathan, she felt much better. She felt encouraged and happy, and she felt very grateful to Leviathan to that. The sweet esper…he was always so kind…always so good to her. For the first time ever, she realized what a good person he was…how kind and gentle he was…and how much the two of them were alike.

Softly, Starlet smiled. Her sadness vanished as she looked at the nervous esper. "Leviathan." She called, wanting him to look up. The esper looked up in response, still uneasy and quivering. However, when he saw Starlet, he softened up a bit. His face turned to puzzlement instead, seeing her smiling softly back at him. But as he looked at her further, he realized something else. She was happy to hear what he said. She seemed pleased with him. As he looked at her, the silent exchange went into him, and he saw the happiness in her. Gradually, that made him smile as well. He gradually began to lose his nervousness and calm down, although he still blushed and looked uneasy. But Starlet found she enjoyed that. She liked the look of him in that position, with that little quirk about him. Soon, she found herself laughing a little at him, in good humor. Leviathan laughed a bit nervously back.

"Um…Starlet…" Leviathan finally managed to say, his voice slightly hopeful. "I…I was wondering…if you were still broken up about your child…"

* * *

Odin, face frowning and scowling, had remounted Slepnir again. Now, he was on the lookout. Fresh anger was filling his veins now. He had no idea what that thing was, or what it had tried to do to him. But now, he was eager to destroy it. It would pay for what it had done. No one snuck up on him like that and attacked him behind his back. However, he couldn't sense it in the least. It didn't appear to have any other signature at all. Nevertheless, with a cold look he continued to search the ground as he flew forward. 

Abruptly, he froze. A ripple of annoyance traveled through his body. He felt a new presence in the sky, and stopped in mid-air. Bahamut was out, no doubt hunting for the same person. Not that it really mattered who got the thing, but it was a matter of personal vengeance at this point. What more, he hated to see Bahamut have a reason to outdo him yet again. But nevertheless, the esper was out. What more, he was headed right for him. Realizing he couldn't avoid it, he waited right there for him to arrive. After a few moments went by, sure enough, Bahamut came up. He shot through the sky right toward him, and soon came to a stop right in front of the warrior esper. Sure enough, it was him.

The new arrival gave a nod to Odin. "Nice to see you're recovered, Odin."

The warrior esper frowned in response for a moment, but then raised an eyebrow. "Recovered?"

Bahamut proceeded to explain the events that had passed not too long ago, everything from when the monster Ark had first been felt bearing Odin's energy. It went though how the monster had been draining energy from everyone, and how Bahamut had finally attacked it and destroyed it. After that, the energy that it had stolen was restored to the people it belonged to, somehow. Odin listened to it all, but secretly felt some apprehension from within him. Apparently, Bahamut had already outdone him again and he didn't even know it until it was too late. That gave him some annoyance.

"I thought there was another one, but on closer observation it looks like it's producing its own aura. Strange, though…because it's both unique and similar to Starlet. It's gone now, whatever it is. It was too fast for me to catch. I have a feeling Starlet knows something about it. Her aura dropped, and I think it was because she reproduced herself. She said she'd separate herself for months now." He paused for a moment, but then spoke back up about the fight. "It was thanks to Gilgamesh." Bahamut threw in at the end, emphasizing it. "Because of him, and because he learned how to transfer energy, I was able to beat it."

That, however, only annoyed Odin more. He snorted in response. "Figures that he would help you. He obviously doesn't appreciate all that I've done for him. If he would have stuck with it, he could have destroyed that thing himself by now."

Bahamut frowned a bit in response. "You know, Odin," He spoke up after a pause. "You shouldn't be so hard on your son. He struggles to please you."

"Do I tell you how to raise your children?" Odin angrily shot back, his eyes filling with anger momentarily.

Bahamut sighed in response, but went quiet. He might have said more within a few seconds. However, before he could, both Odin and Bahamut reacted to a sudden message within their minds. It was distinctly Ogopogo.

_Guys…you need to come back right now! Back to the main chamber! It's an emergency! It's Palidor!_

On hearing that, Bahamut's face immediately turned to concern. He forgot about everything else for a moment, and turned and looked to Odin. His face was cold, but he turned back to Bahamut gruffly, and spoke with some personal satisfaction back to him. "Looks like you may have been mistaken about the threat. It appears already two people might have been attacked."

Bahamut didn't answer. However, this latest bit of information made that sound like a viable option. Starlet's power was still down, and now Palidor was in trouble. Perhaps the thing was still there and hadn't disappeared. Maybe it had just hid itself. At any rate, Bahamut immediately turned back to Terratopolis, and took off straight for it. Odin turned Slepnir to the side and spurred him on as well, and soon both of them were taking off for the mountain. Lower power as Odin was, Slepnir was still the fastest by far. The two of them were soon moving together as they headed back to the mountain.

It didn't take long at all for the two powerful espers to shoot across the sky, reach the mountain, delve back down into it, and reach the entrance. Once there, Odin dismounted Slepnir and sent him away, but Bahamut quickly landed as well, and both had to continue on foot through the halls. Both of them managed to stay together, however, and soon raced up the hallways. In no time at all, they had shot most of the way through the mountain, and approached the top. The entrance to the main chamber soon came in the distance, and the both of them ran inside.

Both Bahamut and Odin halted on entering. After they were there, they both paused and looked about for a moment. The room was full of the esper children. Titan looked distracted enough, and most of the others were holding back, but Gilgamesh had run up to one side along with Ogopogo. Both of them were hanging over the body of Palidor. She was laying in a heap on the ground against the wall, pieces of stone from the cracked wall laying around her. It looked as if she had been flung against it. Gilgamesh turned when he saw Bahamut and Odin run in…and immediately he looked away and to the ground. Bahamut, however, looked tense when he entered. He tightened up and seemed surprised or worried. His eyes darted around the chamber as if he was looking for something invisible or hidden.

"What's the trouble here?" Odin asked.

"It's Palidor!" Ogopogo yelped in response. "She won't wake up!"

"She might have been knocked out." Gilgamesh answered, albeit slowly and with his head down. "But I don't see signs of any major trauma. And her pulse and breathing seems different from it. She's acting like she's asleep. But there's something else too. I sense some aura about her…"

"I know that aura…and I feel it elsewhere in this room, fading…" Bahamut darkly answered as he walked inside. Sweat had suddenly began to form on his brow, and anxiety had visibly struck him. His eyes began to dart around the area with a serious look."It's weak already, but it was here. I don't know how it was possible, but it was here." He paused, his voice low and quiet. But as he walked inside he began to tense up more, and finally spoke again.

"Griever. A trace of Griever is in here."

The children looked up to Bahamut in puzzlement. Their faces tensed up and looked worried. Ramuh began to quiver in fear, while Titan whined pitifully, having always been scared by scary stories of Griever when he was young. Ogopogo likewise began to tremble, while at the same time looking confused and fearful. Odin himself looked stunned, but kept his fear in check. He turned to Bahamut with some tightness within him. "That's impossible. Griever is dead. And you said that you separated his magicite into all of the dragons. Were you wrong?"

"No." Bahamut responded darkly, continuing to look around the room as he walked in. "It was gone. It couldn't have come back. I made sure that it was too subdivided to…" Suddenly, Bahamut paused in mid-speech, trailing off. He was in front of the crystal in the center. Now, he was looking down on it in hesitation. A few moments passed, and the other espers looked to him as he stood there. He glared down it for a few moments, and then finally reacted. Scowling, he shot out his fist and smashed the crystal with one strike of his hands. Immediately, the entire rock crumbled, and the top of it nearly exploded on impact and sent shards everywhere. The younger espers leapt back. The other two turned to him in confusion.

"Why did you do that?" Ogopogo asked.

Bahamut sneered. "I can't believe I was so stupid. The dragons had to leave an imprint of themselves in order to make the messages. All of them together made enough energy come together to make Griever show itself in some small form. It lashed out like this, but I don't know what it did other than effect Palidor in some way."

"How?" Ogopogo responded.

"I don't know…" Bahamut slowly answered, turning his head to Palidor. He focused on her for a moment, seeming to concentrate on something. Then, at last, he spoke.

"But I feel a lingering presence of it on her…and it's not fading."

The entire room went silent. All of them looked to Palidor. She was still motionless and quiet, but did nothing either. The two older espers scanned over her, and confirmed Bahamut's thoughts. They could detect traces of another aura on her. That made them tense up. What did it mean? Their old foe had enough power briefly to return, but to return to do what? And why had it chosen Palidor? No one said anything for a moment. Possibilities simply ran through their heads. But in the end, after the pause, Bahamut sighed and looked up to the others.

"We have to find Starlet and tell her the news as well."

The others paused for a moment, but then all began to nod as well. After a few moments pause, Bahamut spoke up again. "I and Odin will go find her. Ogopogo, you and the children stay here and watch over Palidor." After saying that, Bahamut closed his eyes and focused once again. The others watched him and waited, seeing what result he would come up with. However, Bahamut's eyes turned to puzzlement after a moment. When he opened them again, he had a confused tone of voice as he spoke.

"Well, I did find a tiny aura which seems to be Starlet…but Leviathan is already with her. What more, there are two other small auras with them as well."

Odin grit his teeth in frustration. "What other things could happen tonight?"

"Let's just go find them." Bahamut responded. "They're in the fusion chamber. Maybe that one signature was one of her offspring."

Soon, both Odin and Bahamut had turned and ran off. They soon were tearing off down the halls again, making their ways back down this time. Soon, Odin began to recognize the faint signature of Starlet as well. After a few more moments went by, they had left the others far behind, and were coming up close on the fusion chamber. They reached the entrance to that as well, and quickly ran inside as well. They quickly stopped once in and looked over the area. They were rather amazed at the sight.

Starlet had grown grossly, gigantically hefty. However, she didn't seem to be too concerned with that at the moment. She was cooing and smiling with Leviathan over at the fusion pads. They seemed to be totally preoccupied with two small figures that Leviathan was holding in his coils in front of her to see. One looked like a tiny version of Slepnir, only white, four legged, and with a small nub on the top of its head. The other also looked like a horse in body, but had a green mane, a long neck, and two nubs on the top of its own head. Both of them wriggled a little, seeming to be ready to walk just now. They were so totally absorbed with them that they didn't even notice the two of them enter. And as for Odin and Bahamut, they were too stunned to say anything. After a few moments, however, they looked up and saw the two.

"Hey guys!" Leviathan spoke merrily. "What's up?"

* * *

To be continued... 


	7. Family

_Nine months later_

Palidor felt herself only sluggishly come back to her senses. It was a very slow business. She felt as if she had been wandering in and out of dreams for an eternity. She felt feeling and reality came back to her only very slowly, and that for a lifetime she had been wandering somewhere between the dream world and the real one. But he was now coming too. She felt the wind of reality, the presence of cold breezes and warm heat. She felt the feeling of having something beneath her, and the dragging sluggishness of the first moves of the morning. Her memory was very fuzzy and fragmented. She wasn't sure how she had got there or when she fell asleep. She knew only that she felt her familiar soft nest underneath her, and enjoyed the feeling. The sun was coming in, and she could feel the warmth of it as well. At that, she slowly opened her eyes…

…And immediately looked surprised. Everyone was gathered around her. All of the adult espers were close in. The smaller espers were also gathered around…and there were two other smaller ones running around with them that looked horse-like. They seemed more curious. The younger espers seemed more fearful and anxious about her. The adults also looked anxious, especially Starlet…who to Palidor's surprise, looked like she had put on a lot of weight. She was blatantly fat now. What more, Odin was nearby as well, and his sword was drawn with a cold, hard look on his face.

"Uh…mom?" Palidor asked at last, darting her eyes around in puzzlement at this newest change. "What's…wrong with everyone? And…uh…what happened to your…I mean…er…"

However, the group all looked more concerned with her. A smile spread across Starlet's face, and tears began to run from her eyes. The others also looked somewhat relieved. Starlet looked the most happy of all, and the tears had to be of joy. "Palidor…you're awake…" She spoke breathlessly. "Thank God you're awake…"

"Are you alright?" Leviathan pressed, although also happy. "Do you feel fine? Are there any problems?"

Palidor regarded these reactions with puzzlement. "I feel fine." She simply answered. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Are you sure you feel alright, sweetie?" Starlet pressed more eagerly. She moved in and ran her hand against Palidor's feathers. It felt good…and strangely like it had been forever since she felt it…even though Starlet had changed so much. But after a few moments, she managed to reply.

"I'm…I'm fine mom. But you! What…are _you_ feeling ok? Something happened to you…"

Starlet blushed a little in embarrassment. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously, and managed a small reply after a few seconds. "Well…uh… It actually looked a lot worse months ago, honey. I'm getting better…"

But Palidor caught this and blinked in surprise. "What? What do you mean 'months ago'?"

The other espers hesitated in response to that. All of them looked rather nervous to say anything in reply. There was nothing but silence and a few anxious looks to one another for a few moments. At last, Ifrit frowned in response, and spoke up.

"Oh come on! Someone tell her already she's been out for nine months!"

Leviathan rolled his eyes and groaned in response. Gilgamesh held his hand to his head and shook it. But Palidor reacted the most strongly of all.Her breath caught in her throat. Her skin beneath her feathers paled. Nine months? She had been asleep for nine months? She had thought she just dreamed of sleeping for an eternity…she didn't know that had been the truth! She gaped under the knowledge and bowed her head, wondering how such a thing could have happened. She didn't feel bad or too worried…but she was shocked and astonished. How much had she missed? What had changed? What occurred that made it take place?

The others let this knowledge sink in for a moment. Sooner or later she had to know the truth. But after a few moments more passed, Bahamut spoke at last. "What can you remember, Palidor? Before you fell asleep?"

The bird esper hesitated at that. She was still accepting the knowledge in the first place. But after a few moments more, she began to think again. Now that she was awake, memories came a bit easier to her. Traces of what had happened did come to her. She spoke at last. "I…I do remember something. We had just decided to go help Bahamut…but as I was running down, I suddenly heard something. It was a voice…it was calling my name. I followed it because I was curious, and it ran right down into the crystal room. When I got there, it wanted me to touch it. So I went over to touch it…and that's all I remember. That…and some dream about fire and ice and lightning…and…" Suddenly, Palidor froze. Her face turned confused. She seemed to shift a bit in her position.

"What is it?" Starlet asked.

"I feel something moving beneath me…" Palidor responded. Immediately, she shifted and moved off of the nest. On doing so, she turned and looked down again, and the other espers immediately came forward. Odin held Zantetsuken up higher. They looked down, and saw what was the source of the movement.

A large bird egg was sitting where Palidor had been, and now began to shift and quiver. It was hatching.

"An egg!" Leviathan exclaimed. "You…you don't suppose…that energy from…" He stopped at that, noticing that Palidor was shocked and confused that she had lain an egg. She had already been given one shock. He realized he didn't want to tell her who the father was. He swallowed, and continued. "That…that…person…was the father?"

"If it was…" Odin darkly responded. "The child won't see daylight long."

That new possibility ran through everyone's head. It especially was present in Bahamut. He had been considering that for a while. What would Griever do if it could only come back for a short period? Ensure its reproduction, that was what. It would ensure some part of it could come back. That made Bahamut nervous. Already, he could sense something within that egg that had just been laid that felt like Crusader. Indeed, the aura had left Palidor now. Now it was in the egg. However, he didn't notice any powerful evil coming from it, like it did with Griever… Still, they were all nervous. All except Palidor and Starlet. Palidor was the only one who didn't know the origin, and she marveled that at such a young age she was being a mother. What more, Starlet, her motherly instincts coming in already, marveled over the egg and began to feel her love for children raising inside her.

The egg rattled and shook for a few more moments. Then, abruptly, part of the eggshell cracked and swelled. The others gasped. Odin raised his sword higher. But it receeded again and only cracked much more slowly. The sides of the eggshell began to crack too, and it continued to bulge and constrict from the inside. Finally, a large part of the eggshell cracked off all together and spilled forward. On doing so, a small form was at last exposed.

The creature was strange-looking. On one hand, it bore little fleshy pre-wings like Palidor had. But the similarity ended there. The creature looked like a serpent, rather like Leviathan and Ogopogo. But its head was shorter, and it bore a larger crest on top of it. It seemed to be using this to break out of the egg. The scales were also more bright and colorful, rather like the feathers of Palidor. It slithered around inside its egg, and gave out small whining cries. For a moment, all stared at it. There didn't seem to be any reaction from anyone. But then, at last, a small voice did come out from their midst.

"…My first child…"

The others looked to who had spoken at that. It was Palidor. She was now looking down over the child, and the expression on her face showed that her previous hesitation had vanished. Now, she marveled at it. She bent down over the small creature and hovered her beak over his head. Instinctively, the small creature raised its head and began to touch its own tiny beak to hers. She smiled at it as it cried out to her, seeming to like her and be attracted to her. As Bahamut scanned the mind of the thing, he noticed that it was forming a great attraction to her. It was a strong affection between mother and child. Palidor likewise was growing happier.

"Look…he knows me already!" She marveled.

Ogopogo blinked in response. "Um…aren't you at all disturbed at the fact that you suddenly had a baby?"

"Well, he's mine no matter what I feel. I can't change the fact I have a baby by feeling weird about it." Palidor simply answered, then returned to admiring her new child. "Besides…he's so beautiful! And he's so smart!"

Starlet smiled in response to this. This reminded her of herself when she had been younger, and when she had her own first children. It filled her own heart full of merriment to see another with them.

"Don't grow too attached to it." Odin darkly answered. "It dies now."

On hearing this, all of the others immediately turned to Odin. His face was still cold, and his weapon was still raised. He looked intent on killing the child immediately. The others hesitated on seeing this. They didn't know how exactly to react. However, Palidor did react. She immediately looked up at Odin with terror, and flung herself over the new esper. "No!" She cried.

"The thing must die." Odin darkly answered.

"No!" Palidor cried. "You can't! I won't let you!"

Ogopogo swallowed, but spoke up in reply. "Uh…Palidor…I realize how you are reacting like this, but…the father…well…he's not a good person to…"

"I don't care!" Palidor shot back. "You're not hurting him! He's my baby!"

"Palidor…I don't know how best to explain this to you…" Leviathan pressed on, sounding very uneasy. "But…we have reason to believe the father of that child was someone…very evil. Whatever that voice was, we think it was the one who was the father. And because of that, this child may not be that good…"

"How can you say that?" Palidor responded. "Look at him! He's perfect! He's not anyone evil!"

Bahamut paused a moment, but then gave a shrug in reply. "You know, she's right actually. The baby doesn't have the same evil aura as…well, you know who does. The baby might be fine. There's no reason to believe that anyone's child is doomed to be the same as theirs."

"Do you really think that matters, Bahamut?" Odin answered. "You know full well who the father was. There's no denying it. You know what it could grow up to become, what power it will have among itself. That monster wouldn't have spawned itself just to wind up with an innocent child."

"I don't know what you all are talking about…" Palidor responded resolutely. "But I don't care. This child is innocent. I'm not going to let you kill him." She began to scoop the newborn up in her wings afterward, and bring him up to her breast. "And if you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me too."

"…And me."

The others looked up to this. As they did, they saw Starlet draw nearer to Palidor and stand over her. She too looked fixed and determined. Her eyes blazed with her mother's passion. Apparently, as Palidor has sat there swearing not to let her baby be destroyed, it had awakened her own maternal instincts anew. She knew that if it were her child, she too would not allow it to be killed. It wouldn't matter the circumstances. Even the Slyph, that she had lost so long ago, had not ceased to arouse her to fear and trembling at the thought of what had become of them. She still yearned for them as well and hoped that they would return, and had struggled to become thin again so she could search for them. But now, she realized how much her child loved this new arrival. And she was too happy to see Palidor awake again to defile her. Now, she hung down over the bird esper.

"I won't let you kill this child." She responded.

"You're being foolish." Odin sneered in response. "Don't be stupid. This thing can't live."

"Yes it can." Starlet responded. "You heard Bahamut. It doesn't have any evil in it."

"It could develop it."

"And if it doesn't, we'll kill an innocent life."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take."

"You're wasting your time arguing with me." Starlet shot back. The very fact that Odin wanted the child dead only made her more in favor of letting it live. She wouldn't bow to Odin's wishes again after what he had done with Gilgamesh. "And you're wasting your time arguing with her. Neither of us will let you do it."

Ogopogo and Leviathan continued to look uneasy. However, they were also somewhat divided on the issue. Perhaps the child would grow up alright. Perhaps he wouldn't. But none of them liked the idea of killing someone if it would mean destroying an innocent life. Seeing no help from them, Odin sneered and turned to Bahamut. "Surely, at least you have the sense to do the right thing. You know what this baby will become. You're our king. So make a kingly decision and command this child to be destroyed."

Everyone looked to Bahamut now. All of the pressure was flung on him. The group went silent. Ogopogo and Leviathan were anxious. Starlet, Palidor, and Odin all pleaded with him in their eyes in their own ways, all wanting him to make the decision they felt better. Bahamut grew nervous. He didn't like the responsibility being on him. He paused for a long while, thinking over what had happened. In truth, he wasn't wanting another Griever to show up. But on the same token, he didn't fear Griever anymore. He could destroy the like. And this child could be a different person.

"Actually…I'm willing to give him a chance." Bahamut replied at last with a shrug. "He might end up alright. And if anything happens later, then we can still stop him if we need to."

Starlet and Palidor alike brightened up at that. Palidor's eyes filled with happiness. Odin sneered, and with an angry grunt put his sword back down at his side and inserted it again into his sheath. The others looked somewhat relieved, if nothing else. Starlet and Palidor still had the most relief. Starlet turned to Palidor and reached out her hand to rub her head. "Thank you, Bahamut." She called out in response.

"If anyone dies, it's on _your_ conscience." Odin sneered in response.

Palidor let her wings fold back a little, and looked down into her arms. She beamed at the small esper moving around in it. "You came out of three powers inside me." She told the little esper. "So I'll name you 'Tritoch'." Starlet responded by embracing her own offspring, and the three held for a short while. The others continued to shift uneasily, various thoughts and concerns running through their heads. No one said anything else for a little while. However, Leviathan at last managed a small smile himself, and moved forward to Starlet. He placed his own head on her shoulder, and looked down to Palidor and the new baby Tritoch as well. A few more moments went by during all this. Bahamut sighed and hoped he had made the right choice. But then, at last, Starlet spoke up.

"You know, Palidor…we felt you slowly waking up for a while." She informed her, growing a bit hopeful in voice. "And that's why we waited. But now that you're awake, we want to do something…and we hoped that you could be a part of it."

* * *

And Palidor was a part of it. She scattered the flowers down the aisle that Leviathan and Starlet walked down the next day.

Ever since the birth of Unicorn and Kirin, the two espers that Leviathan and Starlet had made that one night, they began to grow closer to each other. At first, Starlet was too stricken with grief over Palidor. She had wept day and night for months. That, combined with her loss of power, nearly killed the esper. But Leviathan had stayed at her side during all her grief. He dried her tears, comforted her, and made her eat to regain her strength. It took weeks for her to be consoleable, but when she finally was she remembered both her children and the esper that cared for her. As time wore on, she began to realize that she had love for Leviathan as well. Their love for each other continued to grow with time, and finally they began to show it. In the end, they had decided to make a large commitment to one another. They decided to be married, and from that day forward only have children with one another.

With Palidor awakened, it was now a grand business to make the wedding a beautiful one. The main grounds of Terratopolis had been being tended by Starlet and Leviathan for months. The children had decorated the walls with flowers and had strung ribbons, made out of the woven plants that they had experimented with before. There were many bright colors, but white was the most prevalent color. All of the espers had gathered together and formed two rows on either side. Once that was done, Leviathan and Starlet had walked down the aisle side-by-side. Leviathan was much of his old self. Starlet, on the other hand, had made herself a new splendid white dress with a long train, a flowered crown, and a veil over her face. Of course, it was for a larger size, as she was still fat. But she didn't care. She had found a person to love as well as Leviathan had. And so, both of them walked up the aisle, came before the assembly, and exchanged their vows. Everyone complemented them with clapping and joy afterward. After the months of anxious waiting and sorrow, always wondering if Palidor would awake and what would become of her afterward, their was rejoicing. All had ended well.

Gilgamesh, however, had hung on the end. He stayed behind the wedding train and waited anxiously for it to end. True, he was happy to see his mother happy. It filled him with joy to see her wed not only to a worthy person, but to his mentor and best friend. He was happy for Leviathan too. He had known for years that he had wanted to do this. Both Leviathan and Starlet would be happy and prosperous with each other for the rest of their lives. However, he never the less had to leave. He had plans of his own, and he didn't want to prolong them any longer. He had let Leviathan talk him into staying until the wedding. But now, he would wait no more. He would carry out the decision he made months ago, the moment he was disowned by his father.

Gilgamesh broke away the moment he could. After that, he quickly moved out beyond Terratopolis. He was strong enough to at this point, while most of his siblings were not. Once he had climbed up the mountainside and reached the top rim, he moved away from the side, sat, and waited for Leviathan and Ogopogo. Because of that, he had to wait for some time. He sat there alone and watched the day pass away. He realized he could have stayed longer at that. Leviathan, naturally, would be a while. He had just been married. However, he didn't want to hang with the others. He didn't want to make it harder on Starlet, and he didn't want to be around his father. He didn't want to talk his father again until he had proven himself, and that wasn't yet. And so he waited.

Hours went by. Day turned into evening. The sun slowly set and vanished below the horizon. Night descended on him. Still, Gilgamesh sat and waited. His hands were folded over himself, and his eyes were turned out to the horizon. He didn't look back. He paid no attention to the noise and cheering coming from below. He thought only of who was coming. Time continued to go by, but still he held and waited. The wind began to blow, and the air grew cold. But still he waited.

Then at last, he heard espers approaching. He looked up and turned behind him. When he did, he saw at last those he waited for. Ogopogo and Leviathan were slithering up over the rim of the mountain. A long case was with them, and they carried it along with both of their coils as they went up the cliff. They soon cleared the top, and made their way over to him. He stood and faced them both, and watched as both halted before him.

"Sorry it took me so long." Leviathan apologized. "But I was making rather merry…"

"It's fine, master." Gilgamesh dismissed with a nod. "It's your choice."

"You really want to do this?" Ogopogo asked uneasily. "You really want to leave? Why not stay here with the rest of us?"

Gilgamesh, however, had long since made his decision. He glared back darkly. "My father will never respect me here. I must go and make my own living and prove myself to him."

"But there areother ways." Ogopogo protested.

"Not for me." Gilgamesh simply responded. "I've been practicing that one technique you've been working on, Leviathan. I'll have it soon. When I do, I'll pass for any other human. But even before then, I might pass for one right now. I'm about the size. I do have four arms and white skin…but whatever. What I need is this. I need a weapon, and it has to be something that will make me excel above anything on this world. That's why I need this."

Ogopogo sighed.

"No changing your mind?" Leviathan asked.

"None."

Leviathan shrugged in reply. "Very well." With that, he began to pull the case forward. Ogopogo did as well, pushing it forward and putting it before the both of them. Once it was forward, Leviathan reached down and began to open the case up. As he did, he explained it.

"This, Gilgamesh, is the best weapon we've ever made. It took us a while to find the best place for it. But then, Ogopogo and I found the Da-Chao mountain range, mountains filled with lava and fire. Once there, we dug through mountains for months trying to find the best type of metal available. We finally found it, it was Adamant. It was already almost unbreakable when we found it. However, on heating it in Da-Chao, we purified it and made it truly indestructible. That was how we managed to forge this. After that, we fused our energy into it like you suggested. Now you have the ultimate weapon, far greater than any other we ever made."

Leviathan finished opening the case, and then lifted it up to Gilgamesh. The young esper's eyes went wide at the sight. Inside, he saw the gleaming blue steel within. It was beautiful, flashing with strength and glory in the dim light. He could feel the superior power within it. It wasn't like Ragnarok. It was curved and long, smooth and thin. It was sleek and perfect, a true work of art. He marveled over it, and then slowly reached down toward it. Slowly, he enclosed his hand around the handle, and brought out the long curved blade. He gazed at it in wonder, and turned it to show it off in the moonlight. It was indeed perfect.

"Behold…'Masamune', blade of the masters." Ogopogo announced proudly. "It is not only unbreakable, it has an atom edge and inner power within it. It's the greatest weapon of all time. I doubt even we could ever surpass it. This goes beyond all other weapons made yet. And I doubt anyone could ever find the Adamant to make a better one. Even if they did, it wouldn't have our powers with it."

"It's perfect." Gilgamesh answered, still marveling over the blade. After scanning it for a long while, he finally put it down and at his side. He turned and looked up to the both of them. "I'm very grateful to you."

Both Leviathan and Ogopogo gave a nod in reply. A brief pause followed afterward. But then, Gilgamesh sighted and pulled up his belt a bit. He readied himself to leave. He gave a nod to both of them in response, and turned to Leviathan. "Take care of mom. I know she won't understand." He told her. "And I hope you're happy together for a long time, master."

"Good luck, my pupil." Leviathan responded.

"Take care, Gilgamesh." Ogopogo added.

Gilgamesh lingered a bit longer. Now that the time had come, he was uneasy about actually leaving. He held and looked at the people who had given him such a great gift. He waited for a bit longer, taking one last long look at his friends. But then, at last, he only gave them a wave in response. After that, he turned and began to walk away down the mountain at long last. The two espers watched as he went down, moving fast as he tramped down the side of the mountain. They watched until his head at last vanished down under the mountainside. After that, he was gone, and heading away from them and into the world beyond. And whatever danger or trials he would face now would be his and his alone to face. Hopefully he was making the right choice.

At that, the two of them finally turned and looked back to their own home. Thinking of Gilgamesh, and praying for his safety, both of them walked back into the building once more, to rejoin the wedding festivities.

* * *

To be continued... 


	8. The Enemy Within

_100 Years Later_

Terratopolis had undergone another change in the past century.

The espers had discovered much by now, all the secrets that the dwarves and elves together shared. They knew all about making clothing out of various plants now. They also knew of refining and mining too, although Leviathan and Ogopogo had discovered those secrets on their own years before. The mountain had been tunneled out further, and various places crafted and shaped to suit the needs of others. It was making a rather lovely home, and was always growing more detailed and sculpted. In particular, there was a great stretch of land in the middle of the main crater that had been dug and filled with rich earth. Kirin had discovered how to plant various plants of food within them, and grow those specifically. By doing so, her mother could now eat plants all the time without having to constantly search for more. Now, she could get them from the comfort of her own home. The rest of the floor was doing nicely as well. Much of the top layer had been broken up thanks to the action of the roots of the plants. As a result, soil was beginning to form in its place. Furthermore, the tree from Ultima Nexus was growing larger and larger all the time, breaking up more rocks into soil and dropping down deeper into the stone. There were plants growing everywhere along the surface now. There was enough soil for that at this point, and the bottom of the crater was beginning to look like a truly habitable area.

The plant idea was actually one from the humans. They had learned to grow certain types of food around wide-open areas, thereby making themselves a constant source of food and enabling them to settle. They were also trimming down on their clothing. They wore leather a lot more now instead of just any old fur. They also were beginning to learn how to use a lot more tools and techniques. They didn't have to live in caves anymore. They had managed to build smaller homes out of wood now. They even were beginning to learn how to tie them together or fasten them in other ways.

However, that was about the only good thing about them.

The tribe that still went after Crusader soon subdivided again. There were differences in beliefs, and no false god to differentiate between them. A few years later, and the tribe that had broken off in worship of Bahamut and his family broke off again. Mainly, they broke off in who they thought was the most important of all of them. Three sections had resulted. One believed Odin to be the best. One believed Bahamut. The last one believed Leviathan. Finally, Palad's original tribe had broken. The first son had held them together, but his own son had broken it up. There had been an argument between the two heirs of Palad's successor, and so they had split. Half remained in the forests of the world, but the other half moved south into the treeless hill country. All of the tribes were breaking up, it seemed. They were moving out to other corners of the world and moving everywhere.

However, an interesting development had taken place. The hill tribe's current leader didn't last long. Shortly after relocating, he died and had abandoned the tribe. They were left on their own, with no one to guide them and help them survive. But then, another had come forward to lead them. He was dressed in red, and had covered his face and head with it and his skin was white. He had carried a great sword with him as well. Under him, the tribe had advanced even further in knowledge and had maintained peace and prosperity. On hearing of this, the espers knew who it had to be.

Gilgamesh had reappeared.

Back home, Bahamut sadly couldn't say the same about his brother. He was still missing, and he began to lose hope of every seeing him again. He had to look after the children instead, and try to get hope from them. As they did, he had completed his own maturity. He and the others had ceased to look older decades ago. They were at their maximum state. Now he looked over the others as they grew.

Ifrit was now a fully grown, fearsome looking wolf monster. Great horns extended down behind his head and a fiery mane cropped the top of it. He had been the first to learn his Omniapex. He called it his Inferno-pyro. He quickly learned how to do many other things with his fire abilities as well. However, Shiva also learned to do much with her powers. She had matured into a fully-grown young woman too. She wore scanty clothing often, however, not at all like Starlet. She was still very cold to many people. She learned her own Omniapex too, a move she called Diamond Dust. And the only one she ever used it before was the only one she seemed open to, Ifrit. The two of them formed a close relationship over the next few years. Eventually, they too became married. It was a highly unusual match, and they both seemed to drive each other crazy sometimes. But they did unite somehow. They were looking forward to their first child.

Titan eventually became a little less childish, a bit more intelligent…and a lot more massive. Now, he was beyond many of the others in physical strength. He also learned some powers of his own, although it took him a long time to learn how to control them. Leviathan had to take him out of Terratopolis before he brought the place down from his ability to cause earthquakes. He also learned his own Omniapex, Terra-furio.

Ramuh had continued to pursue knowledge. But he was more of a naturalist, interested in cultivation and animal life. He didn't pursue Leviathan's course of study, but wanted to be more in tune with nature. So he pursued his time going out and studying it, or observing it in its natural state. He seemed to age much faster than the others. He grew up like a man, but he seemed to age much quicker. His eyebrows had only grown faster, though his head stayed bald. He had grown a mustache and beard, and it had only grown longer with time. Already, it was down to his waist, and saw no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Palidor was now a full-sized bird esper. She was as big as any of the adults, and was as graceful and beautiful in flight as ever. She nested high now, near the top of the mountain. She too had learned his Omniapex, which seemed to be more for the benefit of others than herself. She could make others leap and dive just like herself.

The former children, now adults, were all eager to have their own children now. However, they had to wait another hundred years instead of fifty. After all that had happened, the espers wanted to wait. They wanted to ensure no more problems happened to interrupt the birthing the next time around. Furthermore, they wanted to make sure all of the children were ready to mate the next time. That meant that the current children had to wait an additional fifty years, and it was small consolation that they were immortal. They still had to wait. But now, the next group were also full grown young adults.

The Slyph had never shown up again. No one knew what had become of them. But the others had grown. Kirin and Unicorn were both full grown now. They were very knowledgeable as well. True to their mother, both of them had healing powers that they were quickly mastering. Unicorn had grown into a great horse-like creature with a single spiraled horn coming out of her head. But Kirin had turned into some great forest creature. Two large antlers grew out of the sides of her head, and a green mane extended down her neck. Both of them were interested in growing things and giving things life, and Kirin had been responsible for bringing more life and plants to the area.

Tritoch had shown remarkable potential. He seemed to be overwhelmingly intelligent, agile, and strong. He was able to talk and read at the age of three. By the age of eight, he already knew his Omniapex, the Tri-Dazer. His strength grew quickly afterward, making him ascend past some of the oldest espers in addition to the newer ones. But despite the worst fears, he never turned wicked. His development seemed to be entirely his own. And so, he grew and became his own person with his own likes and dislikes. If Griever had planned on making him an extension of himself, he had failed. He had grown big and long, and his wings filled in with feathers as splendid as his mother's. He was a dazzling sight to behold indeed, and a marvelous esper. And he too was looking to mate this time around.

And to this tune, Bahamut was readying himself for another round of children. There weren't any major celebrations planned this time. There wasn't going to be any arrivals or guests this time. It was just going to be a simple ceremony. And he was eager to see the result. There shouldn't have been any mishaps this time. After a hundred years of peace, nothing seemed too terrible or troubling this time around. Everything should go without a hitch. And now, he would get to see the offspring of their first generation as well. In a few short hours, they would begin.

Bahamut looked down over the land below him, from the same opening he had looked out a hundred years earlier. Already, the normally busy grounds were clear. All of the espers had withdrawn and went inside to plan. People were pairing up left and right to decide who would give birth with who this time. Some were deciding not to have anymore children. Among them were Leviathan and Starlet, happy with the children they had. Starlet was, of course, thin again at this point, and both she and Leviathan continued to get along just fine. The others were more earnest, however. And of the original espers, Odin was one of them… He inhaled deeply and looked over the empty land below. No doubt, this would be another interesting day.

Abruptly, Bahamut heard a knock on the door behind him. Yes…that was a new thing they had tried making for privacy, taking wood in strips, putting them together, and covering entrances with them. They called them doors. He turned around to see who it was at once. He was expecting Leviathan to come by to have a little pre-event chat. However, on turning, he was most surprised at what he saw. He saw no esper at all, just a middle-aged human man. He was stark naked, somewhat balding, and had a long brown beard and thick mustache. He gazed simply into the room, not saying a word. Bahamut, however, was immediately puzzled. A human was here? How had a human gotten here? The nearest village was over three thousand miles away.

"Uh…um…who…who are you?" Bahamut finally found himself saying. "How did you get here?"

However, on hearing that, the man seemed happy. He grinned widely and beamed his teeth. "Heh-heh…fooled you, didn't I Bahamut? Just as I hoped."

Bahamut blinked in response, more confused than ever at this reply. "Excuse me?"

The man closed his eyes in response. Then, to Bahamut's surprise, he began to alter. His neck extended. His arms and legs went down to his sides and seemed to melt into his skin. His face elongated. His hair fell out, and scales slid out from his skin and into place. His beard twisted into long, scaly whiskers, and he twisted and turned around as he grew thinner. He also grew much taller and longer than before too. At last, to Bahamut's amazement, he saw no man there…but the full body of Leviathan. The king of espers gaped in surprise.

"Leviathan? You…how did…?"

Leviathan grinned in response. "My latest technique, Bahamut. I learned how to shapeshift and take the form of a human. It takes a lot of practice, but I could teach you how to do the same."

"Amazing…" Bahamut answered. "You…you can actually look just like one of them!"

Leviathan shrugged in response. "To tell you the truth, it was for Starlet. As you can imagine, we do look quite a bit different…and that can come in hard…" Here, he paused, and leaned in closer to Bahamut, giving him a wink. "Er…sometimes, if you know what I mean. So I took the form of a human so I look just like her. Plus, this will really help out on my research if I look just like everyone else." However, after saying this, he grew a bit uneasy and frowned. "I tried to make myself a bit more handsome…but apparently this trick only reflects how I really look on the inside. I can't change it any more than I can change my own appearance."

"It's still amazing." Bahamut reassured. "And I'm sure Starlet will be pleased."

Leviathan managed a smile in response. After that, he moved a bit more into the room and went over to the window. "So," He began. "Any plans to reproduce this time? You still don't have any true children. All of the dragons had their own babies by now."

"Me?" Bahamut asked, chuckling a little. "Heck no. I'm going to be a bachelor forever."

Leviathan leveled his gaze at him. "That's kind of a depressing outlook."

"It's the truth." Bahamut simply replied. "Anyway, I'm planning to stay maybe for the start of things tonight, but then I'm going to be moving out on a little hiatus."

Leviathan raised an eyebrow at that. "Hiatus?" He asked.

"Yes." Bahamut answered plainly. "I've been around here for so long… I never get out anywhere. It's been so long since I've run around the world…a hundred and fifty years now. I really need to take a look at the places and people. I've only been hearing about people from the rest of you. I haven't run around at all on my own. I'd like to see what's been going on since the end of Griever, especially in Palad's group."

"Alright. Just don't count on them calling them Palad's group." Leviathan answered. "Remember, he's been dead for some time. Now they call themselves the Paladin."

Bahamut sighed and bowed his head a little at that. Palad's aging and death had brought a very clear thing to his mind. He was immortal as were his kin, but any human friend he made would eventually die and be long since forgotten. Only a name would remain that no one knew the origin of. That was a sad thing to remember all of these landmark ages. However, Bahamut had to remember it was also a time for life. There'd be more children tonight, and they'd have their first official ceremony since the first one. That was always a cause for joy. And soon, Bahamut would be checking in on the rest of the world too. It would be good to see the development of the world as well. And tonight, he'd get a chance to move out and see the offspring of all the people he had met a hundred years ago as well.

Finally, Bahamut exhaled and turned back to Leviathan. "Well, let's get going to the chamber. It's another big night tonight, after all."

* * *

After the sun went down, everyone had assembled in the birthing chamber. It had expanded a bit at this point. After all, there were quite a few more people ready to go this time, and they had to make room for them all. Three generations of espers, all of birthing age, were now in the chamber and ready to go. There was nervous excitement among all of them. After having to wait another fifty years than expected, the first generation was especially eager. Things had gone quiet all day, so it was set to go without a hitch. Now they were all ready. The older ones were eager for the ritualistic event to take place again, and all of the younger ones were ready to engage in this for the first time.

Bahamut stood in front of the chamber, and looked over the whole group. "Ok everyone. We're ready for the first official celebration of the birthing. The first one was a bit haphazard, granted…"

"Tell us about it." Ifrit sneered in response, now in a deep, aggressive voice that he had developed. Shiva elbowed him to shut him up at that, and the others laughed a bit in response to that. Bahamut smiled and gave a knowing nod.

"Yes, I remember all too well…" He answered, then regained his composure. "But now we're ready for a true event. Now, the first one up, I believe, should be our latest couple, married now just thirty years…Ifrit and Shiva."

Here, Bahamut gestured to the couple. Ifrit was still rubbing his side, but he grinned and waved a monstrous claw at the others. Shiva smiled modestly. Everyone began to clap in response when they were named. Everyone except Odin. He was impatient to get underway himself. It had been a hundred and fifty years…he was ready to try for a new heir. It had taken him a while to find one that was desirable and willing, but at last he had managed to find one that would be ready to do it. That was all that mattered. He could still obtain a son from it.

Ifrit and Shiva paused for a moment after the applause ceased. However, in the end, they both looked a bit uneasy. Ifrit coughed and started to say something. "Well…very kind of you all…but…I'm afraid…me and my wife…would prefer to keep things a bit more…physical, you know? This whole short process isn't all that pleasureful…"

Shiva sighed and elbowed Ifrit again, making him gag this time. After that, she turned to the others and spoke in a subdued voice. "What my oaf of a husband means to say is that we would prefer to have our children naturally. So I'm afraid you will all have to wait another nine months."

"Oh, you're no fun…" Palidor scolded.

"Oh, hush up, Palidor." Starlet shushed playfully. "It's good to have children more naturally. It's a very pleasant experience, not that I would trade any of my fusion births for the world…" She trailed off a moment, and then bowed her head a little. She became quiet all of the sudden, and a melancholy went over her. Leviathan frowned a bit and nudged up to her encouragingly. She still hadn't gotten over losing the Sylph. She still missed them every day, and her inability to find them. The memory of that made her slow down a little. However, after a few moments, the time passed, and Bahamut gave a nod to Ifrit and Shiva. He turned back to the others and addressed them again.

"Very well, so that's how Ifrit and Shiva shall have their first children. So, next we will have…Titan."

The whole group turned confused at that. Titan had been running around asking them for years now to make a child with him, but no one had dared agree. Everyone hated the idea of doing anything with Titan, or of having a child with him. They didn't want to risk having another ignorant child like him. Yet someone had to. Titan grinned and moved forward in earnest now. He pushed through the crowd and came up front, and eagerly went over to one of the fusion pads and stood on it. As he did, another one came out of the group. It was Ogopogo, slowly backing up onto the floor and dragging something behind him.

Odin snorted. "Figures. You would be the fool who agreed to mate with this idiot."

"Actually…I had something else in mind." Ogopogo simply answered. He continued to back up, and as he did, the group became aware of what he was dragging out onto the field. It was a great looking thing that looked like an strange mixture of odds and ends. Strange rocks seemed to be cobbled together to form an odd looking man with huge forearms and lower legs, thin rear arms and upper legs, a huge torso, a head that was leveled a bit lower down on the body, and finally two long pipes curving out of the back of the thing. Most of the body seemed to be made out of clay, but the back end was made out of iron. The head had a giant curved, bowl-shaped lip that protruded from under the top of the dome-like head. He began to push it forward toward the main pad.

"What in the world is that?" Kirin asked.

Ogopogo grinned in response. "This is an interesting little thing me and my brother have been working on. We found that by cutting objects into certain shapes and putting them together, we could make things we like to call 'simple machines'. But by putting a lot of them together, we can make a much bigger machine, and this is one of them. We call it a 'golem'."

The others looked puzzled at this, looking over the strange man. "What does he do?" Bahamut asked.

"Well, nothing yet." Ogopogo answered. "It needs something to make it move. And we think we have just the thing. Our own energy can make it move, just how our energy makes our body moves. And so, this is how Titan can reproduce. Uh, Titan? You need to be in the middle."

Titan nodded, and did as he was told. The others were still confused as Ogopogo moved the machine down to one of the side platforms. They watched this in puzzlement and waited for a few moments. At last, Ramuh spoke up to try and see what was going on next. "So…what are you going to do?"

"Well," Ogopogo slowly answered as he finished, backing away from the machine. "In theory, this is going to work just like a regular separation technique. The only difference is that he's going to put the energy into this instead of making it into another creature. This should also be easier on Titan than trying to do it completely." He turned to Titan and gave him a nod. "Ok, Titan. Just how Leviathan showed you."

Titan nodded with a grin. After that, he balled his hands into fists, grit his teeth, closed his eyes tight, and looked as if he was about to let out a huge fart or make a wish. However, he focused and continued to concentrate for a few moments, and the others went silent as he did. Ogopogo stopped and waited for him to react. The others also waited. Bahamut looked a bit uneasy at the whole thing. He licked his lips uneasily and turned back to Titan. "Uh…separation technique?" Bahamut asked.

Ogopogo nodded. "Yes."

Bahamut continued to watch Titan. However, there was no change. His body seemed perfectly the same. It didn't shrink in the least. He didn't appear to change at all. But he kept focusing, and Bahamut could sense the new energy forming inside him. The others watched uneasily, not knowing what was going to happen. They continued to stare and hope that no mishap would happen. Some began to wonder if Titan was doing anything at all. But then, at last, something did happen. Titan opened his mouth, and immediately a small orb came out, shining with brown light. It was an interesting aura to say the least, however it sailed straight toward the machine. It touched it, and immediately seeped into it and vanished. The others uneasily waited for a moment, staring at it in puzzlement.

"Um…what part of Titan broke off?" Shiva asked ineasily.

"The part I figured he'd miss the least…" Ogopogo responded. "His wisdom."

The espers immediately turned to shock. "We've never tried that before!" Bahamut exclaimed.

However, they all soon forgot about that. A splutter came from the machine. They all turned to it, and saw it shift a bit. It sputtered again, and as it did, a small plume of smoke came out from the top. It made the others jump back in surprise. A moment later, they began to hear a turning and churning from within the machine. It started off slow, but began to pick up speed quickly. Soon it was constant. And as it was, it began to spit out smoke from the top of its pipes. It shook and vibrated a little. But then, to the amazement of the others, small lights turned on within its head. Light shone out from its eyes. It turned its head and looked to the group of espers. They paled in response, and shot back a little.

"Eh…"

"Um…"

"Er…hello?"

The machine paused a moment on hearing that. However, right after doing so, it immediately extended its leg back and gave a bow, of all things, to the crowd. The others gazed on in puzzlement.

"Greetings, Master Ogopogo." The machine answered. "It appears that my planned conception was a success."

The others blinked and stood stunned and silent. They couldn't believe it. The thing was talking. What more, it already knew who they all were. "Um…you can talk?" Starlet asked in disbelief.

"But of course." The machine calmly replied. "You are Mistress Starlet."

The others looked confused at that. Everyone was genuinely astonished. "And…and you recognize us?" Leviathan stammered.

"Of course I recognize you." The machine calmly answered. "All of the wisdom that belonged to Titan was put into me now. I know everything he knows. But unlike him, my artificial brain was not made with the same handicaps that he possesses. That is why I am better able to apply the knowledge that he had."

"But…what about Titan?" Leviathan exclaimed. "How is…?"

He turned to the esper at this. However, Titan was happily coming off of his pad and marching over to his newest progeny. "Yay! Titan have child!" He exclaimed as he walked over to the machine. He immediately wrapped his huge arms around the machine and hugged him tightly. If possible, the machine looked confused and a bit uneasy.

"Um…yes, father. You do have a child now." The machine responded.

"Well, I guess it worked out." Leviathan shrugged in response.

The others were still uneasy for a few moments. This had been the strangest birth yet. They all stood uneasily and thought for a moment. However, this new machine, this golem, seemed to be perfectly pleasant enough. And he was already rather intelligent. And Titan looked unaffected. None of them ever wanted to do this themselves, but so long as it had worked out, then it might as well be allowed. Titan and the machine moved back into the crowd once again. Bahamut swallowed a bit and looked uneasy, but in the end gave a shrug and motioned again.

"Ok…that's over and done with. Next, Odin and Unicorn are coming up."

Starlet snapped her head over to Odin at that. Her face flushed with surprise, but that quickly turned to hurt and anger afterward. She fumed at Odin. Odin, on his part, didn't seem to care. He calmly stood up and walked down to the platforms. Starlet sneered at him a bit longer, but then turned to Unicorn. Her eyes pleaded with her, trying to get her to turn away from her decision. She tried to convey the heartlessness of Odin to her with her stare. However, Unicorn didn't look at Starlet at all. She had wanted a child herself for some time. And to this goal Odin had persuaded her to have one with him. He could provide the partner for a fusion. She was already focused on the ground below, and without hesitation she stepped out onto the platforms as well. She moved down to the side and walked right over to the opposite platform, as Odin took the first one. Neither of them said a word to each other. Both of them wanted a child, and Unicorn already knew not to speak to Odin unless he cared to speak back. On Odin's part, all he cared for was an heir. Nothing more.

Bahamut looked over this uneasily. He had known Odin's growing animosity for some time now. And after what happened with Gilgamesh, long had he dreaded Odin having another child that he did not love. However, he knew he couldn't change his mind. "Um…Odin…you're planning to do a fusion this time, and not natural-"

"Let's just do it." Odin cut off coldly. "I've been waiting decades for this. I want a son."

Bahamut sighed in reply, and backed away from the pads. And so, as Starlet grit her teethin anger and glared daggers at Odin, both he and Unicorn began. The room went silent, and both Unicorn and Odin stood up straight and tall. They closed their eyes and put their hands to their sides, and the process began. Both of them focused and began to concentrate pieces of their auras between one another. A few moments went by as they did. Then, as always before, the small spheres appeared over their heads. The others watched carefully. Bahamut and Starlet alike hoped for the best. Both spheres hovered in the sky for a few brief moments, shining and shimmering. Then, as always, the two of them went together to meet each other in the center on the middle pad. Both of them united, and immediately a brilliant white flash shot out throughout the room.

Everyone closed their eyes and drew back. They covered their gazes as a rush of wind and power ripped through the room. After a few moments, however, the flash died down again as it always had. The room resumed its previous color. All of the espers put down their hands and arms and turned to look back to the front of the room. They watched as they saw both Odin and Unicorn open their eyes. They turned their heads and looked down to their new offspring. The others moved in as well, and they too looked down at it. All was silent for a brief moment, and the only sound was Odin's heavy footsteps moving across the stone floor to the central platform. Once there, he looked down…and was totally silent with a cold look on his face.

An ugly, squealing, gray boar with red hair writhed around on its new body.

No one said a word. Odin leaned up and looked down on it. His eyes filled with disappointment…and anger. Unicorn herself looked uneasy about it. She winced a bit, and walked over to it slowly. She tried to express some motherly love, but she could not hide her repulsion. The piglet squealed loudly and in an annoying tune, writhing around and looking both ugly and vile. It was, in all honesty, a hideous blemish on the esper race. None of them had ever expected a being this foul-looking and acting. Even she could barely reach out her muzzle to stroke it. When she did, the thing continued to squeal and whine endlessly. That was the only sound in the room. Its squealing continued to bleat and drone on without end. The thing was inconsolable. It began to grow irritating and annoying.

"…Shut that damn thing up." Odin coldly commanded at last.

"He's…he's just a baby…" Unicorn half-heartedly reassured.

"Give him time, Odin." Starlet added. "Your son may-"

"This…disgusting…_thing_ is not my son. It's another damned failure." Odin harshly snapped back. "Look at it. It's a putrid, writhing, worthless little pig."

"It's still your son, Odin." Bahamut responded.

"I'm not fathering that thing." Odin retorted in growing anger. He looked up at Unicorn and glared at her. He stared at her as if it was her fault. His look was so fierce that she recoiled a bit, cowering underneath him. The pig continued to squeal. "You…I should have known not to mate with you. You're as hideous as it is. You're a damned subcreature, just like him. Even you can't stand to look at it. Even you can't stand to hear its infernal bleating!"

The pig squealed louder at this, growing frightened at the sound of the angry voice in the room. But that was the last straw. Odin was livid with fury. His eyes blazed with anger. In rage, he lashed out to the creature with his foot, though Starlet screamed for him to stop a moment too late. _"I said shut up!"_ He bellowed as he kicked the thing with all his might in the head.

The impact sent the creature flying across the room. It squealed louder than ever for a few moments of sailing through the sky…before it struck the stone wall. It hit head first, and the impact immediately sent one eyeball shooting out of the thing's head. Soon, only a bloody socket remained in one spot, as the gray pig slid to the ground. It went silent on being struck against the wall, and began to twitch instead as it slid down and then lay on the floor. It continued to twitch afterward, having gone into shock from the trauma.

The others were horrified. No one moved an inch for a few moments. They just stood in stunned silence. Odin himself was a bit stunned at his actions, fuming and breathing hard as he glared at the pig. But he hated it. He hated it more than anything. It was a failure to him. After all his struggles, trials, and tribulations, this ugly little piece of flesh was the only thing he had to show for it. He couldn't take it anymore. It reflected on his own failure. At last, the group reacted. Unicorn bowed her head and began to sob bitterly. Leviathan and Bahamut rushed across the room to the fallen newborn, trying to see how bad it was hurt and if it was still alive. Starlet didn't move at all for a few moments. But then, she slowly turned to Odin. As she did, her eyes blazed with more hate than ever.

"You…heartless…merciless…bastard…"

Odin blustered and fumed for a moment. However, he realized that he couldn't escape what had happened. The others began to look at him in horror and disgust as well. He had committed a heinous act, and there was no denying it. Even he couldn't excuse himself right away. And yet, as he stood there, his hate for being inferior...his hate for not having a decent son…overwhelmed him. Hissing and fuming, he scowled and suddenly turned away. Without another word, he marched right out of the room and left the other espers to stare at him as he left. No one said anything. No one tried to stop him. They were all too stunned at what had just happened. They watched him march out and heard his footsteps vanish as he stamped down the hall. He was soon gone.

Starlet, tears in her eyes, turned and began to comfort Unicorn. As for the others, they merely sat and waited as Leviathan and Bahamut tended to the new child.

* * *

Shoat, the gray boar, would live, it seemed. But Odin's kick had silenced it forever. It lacked the ability to speak now, due to some sort of brain trauma. What more, it would go through life with only one eye. As the child grew, Bahamut had a feeling that it would forever hate Odin, and with very good reason. But he couldn't change what would happen. They had yet to have a child who could turn back time. And so, the birthing ritual ended. Another series of unfortunate events had ruined everyone's anticipation about the coming event. The only children that would be coming now would arise from natural childbirth at this point.

Night wore on. The machine, named Golem by his father, went to retire with Titan in his own chambers. Everyone else went to bed. Unicorn realized too late the folly of being too desperate for a child that she had paired with a man who loved no one. Everyone now had a lower opinion of Odin. He had been cold before, but now they saw him as heartless. He cared for nothing except himself and a successor now. He had run off and quitted Terratopolis it seemed, but none of them cared. They were all too upset at him now to care where he went. Starlet agreed to stay with the injured child that first difficult night. It would be weeks before full recovery, and she was the only one not struck uneasy by Shoat's mere existence. All in all, it was a pretty grim place for Bahamut to leave.

However, the esper was nevertheless eager to. Getting away from this difficult scene was a relief to him. Hopefully things would calm down and be back to normal by the time he returned. Meanwhile, he would get to see much of the world and the people there. He hadn't forgotten about that, and was eager to see what was going on. That was his only joy in this troubled time now, and he was eager to satisfy it.

And so, around midnight, Bahamut bid farewell to his family. He gave Leviathan jurisdiction over the place until he returned, embraced his friend, and then set out in the middle of the moonlight. Alone, he went out into the main courtyard of Terratopolis, unfurled his wings, and sailed into the sky. Hopefully, he already began to think as he went up into the heavens, he would see his brother on his journeys. Then he could finally apologize for what had transpired a lifetime ago. Or if something had happened to him…then perhaps he could learn the cause. With that in mind, Bahamut soon was in the sky. He turned away from the mountain, toward the warmer climates, and then took off at full speed, leaving his family and friends far behind him.

Only then did Odin finally reenter Terratopolis once more.

* * *

It was late at night. Everyone else had turned in with their new children, and Odin was alone when he landed back on the grounds. Angrily, he stomped into the tunnel leading in, still fuming over all that had happened.

All he had ever wanted was to have his legacy take its rightful place among the espers. All he ever wanted was to ensure that they would be the rightful kings. He had already consigned himself to the fate of never personally being the successor. But he wanted to make sure his further generations would be the true successors. And he had always counted the cost. He always knew it wouldn't have been easy. He knew it would have taken time and work, and he had invested that and much more. He had struggled and labored to try and make the perfect child, to make an heir to lead the espers into the future. And what did he have now?

One milksop waste of training.

One hideous blemish.

And the disdain of everyone.

However, as Odin had walked around for the past few hours, he did begin to realize things about himself. His disappointment was great, but what he began to hate as well was what he was turning into. Foul as the creature he sired was, he realized he had lost his temper. He couldn't kill the thing. It was alive and had a right to it, much as it disgusted him. But he hadn't cared. He had wanted to destroy it, the thing that was alive because of him. That was irresponsible. It was against the code he had lived by all his life, against his honor. But because of his anger and fury at not having a decent son, he had lashed out angrily. This desire for an heir…this hatred of being inferior to Bahamut…it was driving him to this madness. It was leading him to become something feared and hated by all others. He had ignored that for quite a while, but he couldn't anymore. He hadn't cared about the opinion of the espers for such a long time…but now he couldn't deny what was happening.

Yet at the same time, he couldn't put down his desperation. The one desire that had consumed him for decades was as strong as it was the day it began. No matter what he did, he couldn't put it down. He had to have a son. He had to sate his need. He had to have an heir he could be proud of. He could not rest until he did. He knew he was the warrior esper. He knew he had the power within him. He just had to unite it with someone who could use the power to its maximum. He had to have a child who could use his pure, unadulterated strength, something that could be perfect where he had failed.

But he never got it from uniting with his fellow espers, Odin realized as he continued to walk up the halls, farther and farther up the chambers. All of them made his children weak. Starlet had imparted too much of her sympathetic nature. Unicorn…was already an aberrationon the sight of esper kind. None of them were adequate. Bahamut might be the only one, but he didn't want him. Then the child would be as much his successor as Odin's. He couldn't stand that. No…nothing could promote his being beyond where he already was.

Perhaps it was him. Perhaps parts of him held him back. Perhaps his strength was too hampered by other parts of him. But how could that be? He trained himself so hard…for so long…without fail. Yet he was naturally inadequate. No matter what he did he couldn't change that. He would always be weaker as he was. His natural body was leaning to being inferior. He couldn't change it at all…no matter how much he wanted to…

However, as Odin walked on, he suddenly slowed his step. A thought came to mind.

Perhaps…he could.

There was one technique that was useful for getting rid of undesirable parts of himself. He could change himself in that regard. He could separate all the parts of him that held him back…that were full of doubt…that refused to live up to their full strength. He could rid himself of anything that made him weak. He could bring out a single, pure entity…one that would not show hesitation or weakness in any form. One that embodied his pure, unadulterated power. One that would take all that he had given him and become more and better. One that could truly surpass him…Odin perfected, as it was.

The idea began to appeal to him. It excited him. Why not? Why not make a perfect Odin? Why not make one that personified power? Why not, he asked himself, as even then he began to walk toward the separation chamber…putting aside all restrictions from his mind and seeking only his heir?

But then, he slowed down his step. He knew why. He wasn't ready to sacrifice his own power. Giving up his power would mean letting too much of himself go. It would mean becoming only a part of his former self. And he didn't look forward to being a fat blob or a thin rail. He couldn't just give up his power like that. And any other aspect of himself would just leave an inferior child. No…none of those methods would work. He needed a better way…

And there was one…

He could separate his negative side from his positive one. In his negative side…there was power, strength, ferocity, fury…in addition to all other things. Getting rid of that part of him would leave him a creature that would be useless as a fighter. With only his good half in place, what good could he be? But it wouldn't rob him of all his strength. And it would isolate all the hardness, power, and strives he had made. It would create something that would not be hindered by any mercy or compassion. It would make something that could finally be strong and mighty, that could finally take its rightful place in the world of espers. He could finally have the esper son that he wanted…and he could sacrifice nothing of himself other than the best. He could make a perfected Odin…the perfect heir.

Anyone, of course, could see the flaws in Odin's reasoning. Evil likewise had doubts, fears, and wickedness. Crusader had been consumed by evil, and it had turned the thing into a monster. He also didn't recognize that goodness had great power in it as well. He didn't realize all that his goodness turned him into…he didn't realize it gave him his true power and honor. Without it, he didn't realize what he would truly be… Perhaps had he been a stronger person, or had used his brain more, or his own wisdom, he could have seen the folly in his ways. He could have seen the wrongness of what he was doing. But he didn't. He saw nothing…nothing except his consuming desire to be better, to have an heir. All other desires had been sacrificed to this one obsession. He knew nothing else…and he could be satisfied by nothing else. The thought, the mere chance that he could have a perfect heir…he couldn't deny it. He wanted it too much. Evil hadn't taken him yet, but this evil desire had. And the more he thought of it, the more he wanted it. The more he believed its validity. The more he thought it could work. And so, his desire made the option grow from possibility to chance…to obsession…to desperation. He had to try. He didn't care about anything else…just making the perfect heir.

Odin's pace picked up, and soon he was rushing down the halls. The desire continued to leap in his mind. The chance continued to excite his heart. He thought of nothing else, not even the consequences. He had to do this. He had to try it. Soon, he had reached the top…and he went rushing right into the fusion chamber.

Within seconds, Odin had leapt onto the central pad. There he stood, and immediately he calmed himself down. He stood straight and tall, and closed his eyes. He started right away, struggling to find the power within him. He was experienced with this, however this method was harder. It didn't come right away. His negative feelings permeated him, and were a lot harder to isolate. And so, he focused and concentrated for a few moments. The moments stretched into minutes. The minutes stretched to an hour. All the while, Odin went through his mind and struggled to find negative emotions within him. He searched through all his being, looking for the negative values with him. Doubt…fear…aggression…every dark part of him had to be found and accounted for. Every part of it had to be drawn together. Every part of it had to be grasped. It took forever, struggling to find it all. But in the end…he did have much of it. He did have an invisible cord tied throughout his being to this.

Odin hesitated again. After this, there would be no going back. He would lose a part of himself permanently. He didn't know exactly what that would do to him. But in the end, his one unified desire asserted itself. He had to have a perfect heir. He had to have someone superior. He didn't care about anything else. And so, he did it. He drew it out from within him. He pulled it together inside, and formed it into one concentrated point. Strange…it felt strange within him. It was cold and hot at the same time…and it seemed to draw within itself…as if a great void was within it that it sought to fill, but there was nothing to fill it with. So it sought to consume everything around it…which was Odin. The warrior esper felt uneasy with it in him. He felt cold…nauseous…sick on the inside. He wanted to get rid of it. And so, he forced it out of his body as fast as possible.

But as he felt it drawing up…as he felt it leaving his insides…Odin began to feel different again. The sickness vanished, but other things vanished as well. All of his negative feelings…fear…jealousy…envy…all began to come out of him. His anger, rage, grudges…they began to come from his body. The code that he lived by of honor…suddenly seemed so much stronger and easier to follow… It was a strange feeling. He suddenly felt more livid throughout…more light and at ease…even stronger…and, dare he say, happier. A great change came over him, and inside he feltnew… But as he felt this, however, new feelings began to enter him as well. Concerns he had never cared for now came forward, and feelings of conviction began to bear down on him, strong and present in his mind… Gradually, he began to feel detached from reality. He lost connection on the evil coming out of him. Instead, he felt something new…and he felt only himself inside.

_Starlet… You were so innocent and kind…you've always been so loving. And all I cared about was myself. I never thought of you. I kept your own child from you, and he was as much yours as mine. Even if I could have made him better, I hated you for being his mother…and you didn't deserve it. You were always so kind… I'm sorry._

_Shoat… What have I done to you? You were my son in the end, yet all I did was treat you with hate… And now, because of my hate…you will have to go through life like this. If I wasn't prepared to take responsibility for you…I shouldn't have had you… I made a horrible mistake._

_Gilgamesh… Gilgamesh, my son… All I ever wanted you to be was the strongest warrior. I struggled to make you into that. But as I did, in the face of your failures, I never saw anything else exceptmy ownfailures. I never saw how much devotion you gave me…how much you aspired to be for my satisfaction._

_Why…why did I want an heir so badly? What did I want it for? Why did I hate Bahamut so much? Bahamut acted perfectly…selfless and devoted. But because it was not me that killed Crusader, I hated him. I hated all that he advanced to become. And perhaps…that was why I couldn't reach his level. That was why I couldn't be the same as him. He wanted to be stronger only so that he could defend others, and he selflessly gave up his power so that he could rid the world of Griever. Would I have done the same? _

_No…I wouldn't have. _

_I wanted to be stronger for a selfish reason. I wanted to be stronger so I could surpass Bahamut and all others…to be the true king of the espers. Bahamut never cared for that. He never cared for power or prestige…only the betterment of all people… He did nothing but struggle to help us all, and I hated him for it…despised him for it…_

_Bahamut…you are better than me._

_This desire for an heir did not come from love. It came from jealousy and hate. That was why I was less. That was why I never lived up to my full potential. My reasons were always selfish. No matter how much honor I wanted…no matter how much I wanted to help the humans…I always had that desire beneath. And because of that, I never could reach true strength. I could never reach true power. My heart was never clean like yours, Bahamut. I cared too much for myself. But true power…the code of a warrior…is not to grow stronger than another, but to grow oneself. It is not to conquer, but to defend others. I failed in my code…I failed since the start. I never realized what I had, and I had this selfish wish._

_I am sorry…_

_…Wait._

_The new esper…coming from my evil…_

_No…I must withdraw it!_

Immediately, Odin opened his eyes. He had to pull it back in. But just as he was ready to do so, he froze in shock. He looked before him, and saw it was already too late.

His monstrous heir stood before him.

Odin's face was stricken with shock...and terror.He also felt it…and not since Griever had he felt anything so evil. Perhaps…even more so. Griever might have had an ounce of good within it, but not this thing. There was nothing in it but hate and evil. There was no thought in its mind but wickedness and death. There was no love in its heart, and not a single pure intent in its brain. It was evil embodied. It looked vaguely like Odin…only twisted. The thing was tall as he was, but its cape covered its entire body. It swathed around it like a cloak, and a great iron buckle fastened it around its neck. The color was blood red. It bore horns on a helmet like Odin, only this helmet was black and red and the antlers were curved down and cruel, like a bull ready to charge. Lastly…there was its face. It was nothing but a hideous white skull poking out from the helmet. Its teeth were long and sharp. Its face was twisted into a grinning, wicked smile. Lastly, there was its eyes. They were nothing but small red lights burning in a black skull. An air of darkness came over him. The room itself seemed to darken from his mere presence. It grew cold and still…as if life was rotting in the presence of this foul creature. This…was Odin's son. His "Odin perfected".

It was a horror.

The monster grinned wickedly at Odin. Odin stared back like stone. He dared not blink. A foul smell from the monster filled his nostrils, and he grew uneasy within. "What…are you?"

The thing flashed its terrible fangs. It answered in a voice that sickened Odin…for it sounded like him, only insane and demented. "Why father…I'm what you always wanted." It grinned in its cold, heartless tone. "I'm your heir."

Odin blinked in response. He clenched his teeth, and felt himself sweat. "You…you were not what I desired."

"Oh, but I was, father." The thing hissed back. It began to move up on Odin. Shocked at the thing's mere existence, he backed up from it. "I'm everything you always wanted. I'm the power to take…to conquer…to rule…to kill. I'm not afraid to do everything you always wanted. I'm not afraid to seize what was rightfully yours. You…you always restricted me. I dwelt deep in your heart, yearning so much to satisfy your deepest, darkest desires." It spoke smoothly now, yet its voice would curdle milk and make babies cry. "You wanted so much to kill Bahamut."

Odin's eyes widened. "No…"

"You wanted to be a king beyond Griever."

"I…didn't…"

"You wanted to kill your stupid children."

"No…" Odin answered, shaking his head. However, he couldn't deny that his heart had entertained such dark thoughts. They had been within him at one point. They filled him with more conviction than ever…but those had been his darkest thoughts. He no longer cared about them. He didn't want them to remain within him. He wanted them gone, and he never wanted to encourage them again.

"But you were weak…you were always weak." The monster went on cruelly. "You were the failure, not your children. You just lacked what you needed to be the strongest."

Odin paused at that, but then clenched his jaw. He shook his head defiantly. "No…you're wrong. It was my negative emotions that made me weaker. It was that which kept me from true power. But the power I sought and the reason for it were also in conflict. I had impure motives from the start. You…you are everything I don't need."

The thing grinned wickedly in response. "You truly think that? You truly think a bunch of sympathy and care makes you stronger? Well…why don't we find out?"

Odin frowned and drew his sword. "…Gladly. You are my first true mistake, and I'll be more than happy to correct your right now."

The creature flashed its teeth. It extended a hand from its cloak, revealing it to also be nothing but bone. Odin crossed Zantetsuken in front of himself and prepared for a fight. He glared at the thing and waited, ready to intercept the first attack. As the skeleton hand came out, it was revealed that a small ball of darkness was held within it. Odin glared at it, and readied himself for the attack. Slowly, the monster raised it up and lifted it behind him. Odin tightened his teeth, ready for the attack to come. But then, as the monster brought his hand down to attack…Odin saw at the last moment he wasn't aiming for him. He was aiming for the ground. His eyes expanded, and he moved to react to it…but it was too late. The black orb hit the ground right in front of them.

Immediately, a black cloud of darkness exploded from the ground. Like a cloud of thick smoke, it moved up and quickly filled the entire room. All was turned to darkness. Pitch black filled Odin's vision, and he could see nothing. All was turned to the darknest night…or darker yet. Odin looked up at this, and fumed angrily. Quickly, he shot forward and swung his blade out into the darkness. But he hit nothing. It was already gone. He grit his teeth in frustration and anger. As he did, he heard a horrible laughing within the blackness. It echoed throughout it, filling the whole area so that it did not show where it was coming from. Odin sneered and closed his eyes, beginning to scan the area for the monster.

"Heh-heh…little too slow, Odin?"

"You…" The warrior esper hissed in response, still trying to find him.

"I won't prove myself to you here, father." The thing mocked in response, especially on the title. "No…I'll show my true power in the same arena Gilgamesh has. I have big plans for this world…and they will take some time to complete. But when they do, I assure you…no one will ever remember the so-called horrors of Griever's rule compared to what _I_ will do. My name is Hades…the name the world will bow down to in terror ere long."

The thing laughed wickedly to end the little speech. Odin scowled and continued to search for him. But he couldn't find his energy. It seemed already gone. But it couldn't be. He realized now the horrible mistake he had made. He had spawned a creature of pure evil, all of the wickedness in his heart personified. If that thing got away…there was no telling what evil it would unleash on the world. He had to stop it. He couldn't let it get away…he couldn't! He scanned desperately, expanding his range. He went all the way to his limit. And as he did, the blackness began to clear. Like black smoke, it faded and moved away as before. Light slowly came in again. The room was slowly outlined. The platforms became visible again, and the entrance and details formed throughout the room. In a few more moments, the rest of the black darkness cleared…and the room was revealed. But there was no one in it. No one, save Odin.

Horror sank into Odin's heart. Fear and dread came over him. He tried being angry and frustrated, but he was more upset at what he had done. This was his fault. That monster…that Hades…it came from his evil. And in his greed to have a child, he had spawned it. Now, whatever it did…wherever it went…it would be all his fault. Whatever deaths it caused…misery it brought…it would be because of him. All because of that damned desire within him.

At once, Odin fell to one knee, and let Zantetsuken drop to his side. Overcome with grief, Odin wept for the first time in his life.

* * *

To be continued...


	9. Dragon's Wrath

So far, the trip was going rather well.

Bahamut had been scanning the globe since that morning, and he was very pleased at what he saw. Much of the world was warm now. And where there had been nothing decades ago, there were now trees and forests growing. The world had filled with life too. More creatures that he had never witnessed before had come out and were running around on the face of the world. There were a large variety of them now, and they changed from landscape to landscape as Bahamut flew by. They were able to live everywhere. Even the wasteland deserts had their own set of creatures living in them. Whales, tigers, bears, elk, squirrels, sloths…everything was amazing to see. Not that Terratopolis didn't have its own charm, but it still wasn't nearly as old as the rest of the world. It would take generations for it to equal the natural beautyGaia had achieved. Seeing the world as it was now, however, made Bahamut more enthusiastic to see it make this change.

He had also been on the lookout for humans. So far, he had seen none. The one race, the Lufenians, still dwelt in their city in the sky, which was still far more advanced than both the espers and the world below. He also passed by an elf town too. Their mode of living was strange, living entirely out of natural materials that the forests provided. However, it still seemed much more advanced and prosperous than the original human tribe he witnessed had been. But then again, he wasn't sure exactly how the human tribes were doing. He still had to find some. And so, to that end, he flew through the sky and struggled to locate one.

Bahamut also kept an eye out for his brother. When he swooped down for lunch on a rather tender-looking moose, it reminded him of their journey to this world for the first time. It had changed so much since then, turning into a world of light rather than darkness. And it was prospering so much now. Wherever Wyvern was, he hoped that he was enjoying it. Bahamut himself couldn't sense him as he flew over the Planet. And so, he had to just bear on without him, and enjoy what he could without the aid of his brother around him.

Day wore on, and still Bahamut scanned the ground, looking for signs of some human settlement. He searched for hours for one, but didn't see any. He almost wondered how he would recognize it. However, his rationale was that it would stand out just as the original human settlement had. And so, he continued to search and wait, looking for any sign. He thought again how much the humans might have changed. He couldn't wait to see it. He continued to search and struggled to see something.

Then, at long last, something did come over the horizon. But it wasn't what Bahamut expected. It was black, and stretching to the sky. Bahamut turned to a look of puzzlement at that. He narrowed his gaze and focused on it harder. As he continued to come forward, he suddenly realized what it was. He hadn't seen it in a long time…but it was smoke. Black, thick smoke…the kind that came from fire. Not just any fire, however, but true destructive fire. He had seen it before in the battles with Griever and its fiends. He couldn't forget it no matter what. Something was wrong over there.

Immediately, Bahamut increased his speed and headed for that location. Something had to be wrong…but what was it? There weren't any enemies left. Griever was gone. The Four Fiends were destroyed. What could be causing it? Another one of those Ark monsters? Bahamut scanned ahead, trying to sense a power in the area. But he couldn't sense anything. There were no strong powers over there. Nothing stood out. Perhaps it had already left? Bahamut didn't know. He just kept shooting forward, determined to reach the location quickly.

As Bahamut came up on the area, he noticed that it was a clearing in the middle of a forest. He soon came up on it and went over it, and as he did he saw that the clearing was not natural. It had been man-made. Old stumps of trees were still standing all over it, rough and hewed around the tops. Evidently, it had to be another invention of humans, an axe. He continued to fly forward, and as he did he looked up and saw the source of the blaze at last.

It was one of those new dwellings Leviathan had described. It was made out of wood and thatch laced together to make a small chamber that a person could live in. It was reinforced with hides of animals as well. A small barrier was made around the house, made out of wood stakes and cords stretched between them. Within the grounds of the barrier, there was a small field that was planted with the same kind of plant, the technique of farming that the humans had perfected. However, all of the plants were now ablaze. And so was the small hut. They were the source of the smoke, spewing it into the air as both things were consumed by a growing fire.

Bahamut quickly moved over into another tree large enough to hold him. He made sure to move silently and quickly, not wanting to alert his presence but still look down at the ground more closely. And he did get a closer look…but only to see worse. Two people were dead outside of the hut. One was a fairly young man. The others was an older one…possibly a mother and child. Both of them had been punctured in some way, roughly…although it didn't look like an animal. Something had pierced them with purpose. This had definitely been done by ones desiring to do evil. On seeing it, Bahamut's heart filled with grief. Innocent people had been here, and they had been murdered savagely. Their homes and property were destroyed. This was barbarism and wickedness…and Bahamut hated to see it. It tore his heart open. He loved the humans as if they were his own children, in a way. He had seen them develop so much and grow. He thought he had rid the world of this evil. He thought there was nothing left of it. But now, something else was attacking the humans. Something else was fouling the world.

Bahamut scanned the ground for signs of anything. Something had to have done this. But he could sense nothing. There were no strong evil things here. There were no powers like the Fiends or Griever, or even a lesser esper. But something had to have done it… This destruction had to be stopped. This evil had to be answered for. Finally, a voice struck his ear. A woman cried out in anguish…before being roughly silenced. And it was near, just in the woods around the clearing. Quickly, Bahamut wheeled his head over in the direction, and readied himself to tear the latest foe to pieces…

But on doing so…Bahamut froze. His face fell. His stared in stunned silence. It was the most horrible shock he had received in decades.

There were no fiends or espers or monsters.

There were only _humans_.

Four of them were gathered. They all were rough, dark-looking men. They were overgrown and shaggy, seeming to have been nearly wild people. They were dirty looking…and Bahamut could sense evil coming from their minds and hearts. They carried tools for cutting…but Bahamut took one look at them and saw that they weren't used for cutting wood recently. They were dripping with fresh human blood. The smell was so strong that it made Bahamut sick. He could still sense the terror and fear on the minds of the people when their blood was spilled. And now…they were laughing and carousing around one final survivor…a woman. She was screaming hysterically, half-naked, bruised, bloodied, and tortured. She had her clothing ripped and looked terribly abused. She kept trying to escape, but every time she got the strength to they struck her and sent her down to the ground. Then…one of them pinned her as best he could…and began to… It made Bahamut sick to look at it. The woman wouldn't take it. She kept fighting and screaming, as the others laughed at her and egged their foul friend on. The man, on his part, yelled at the woman violently to stop, slapping her around as he did so. Eventually, he sneered at her…and in a flash pulled out a knife made of bone and cut her throat. Spitting on her, he angrily rose and cut her still twitching body aside like she was a fruit rind, and turned his attention to a nearby tree, where a much-younger boy was tied and hanging from a branch. He stared at him with a ravenous look…

Bahamut felt ready to throw up. A cold knot formed in his stomach. This was the biggest horror…the most sickening shock…he had ever seen. The humans…they were engaging in such savage immorality that it defied logic. It couldn't be possible. But as Bahamut scanned their minds, he saw no revenge, no hurt, no excuse or reason for this. He saw only the feeling of power and superiority…the same as was in Crusader's mind. These humans…they were acting the same way. They felt invincible and untouchable…they were without remorse or concern… They had descended to the same level of evil and wickedness Crusader had. They were doing these terrible acts…without the slightest concern for the people they hurt. How? How could they possibly do this? Could they not see what they were doing? Could they not see that they were harming their own race, hurting their own people? Humans were struggling to survive as it was, and they were doing these terrible things…for personal satisfaction?

Bahamut felt so dizzy and sick he wanted to fall out of the tree. Thoughts swarmed over him. Always, he had sensed some evil in the humans…but now the icy reality of the situation clenched his heart painfully. They were capable of supreme wickedness. They were capable of evil far beyond what they had once been aware of. They had the ability to do such horrible, horrible things, and to have the same state toward their sin as Crusader had. Bahamut had never believed it. He never thought they would reach this point. But they did. And now…he heard the mocking laughter of Crusader in his ears… He heard its evil voice ringing through his heart to the tune of the human's wicked glee below…telling him that the humans would one day become this wicked…

_…No._

_No…I won't believe it._

_There are people like Palad in the world. There are humans that are capable of great good too. They still exist as well. As long as they do, I'll continue to have faith in humanity. These…these people are twisted and evil…but they do not represent all humans. They are only some…not the majority. These people were innocent that they hurt and killed. And now…_

_Now…they shall die for their crimes._

Bahamut shock quickly began to vanish. His anger built instead. As it did, the sky began to turn dark. The wind began to pick up. Heat gathered around him. The ground shook beneath him. These effects grew in magnitude with time. The wicked men, seeing this, turned away from the boy they had just began to strip and looked to the sky in confusion. Now, their confidence vanished, and fear began to replace it. Seeing that, Bahamut began to hiss a deep-throated growl.

_That's right…fear. Show it. Show me more of it. Heartless…wicked…foul little monsters… I sacrificed so much for you. I tried so hard to help you. And this is how you repay me? This is what you think you can get away with? Did you not think that someone would know? Did you not think someone would make you answer for your crimes? Did you think you could do such a thing…and fail to arouse my anger! You…evil, horrible men…you will pay dearly for this…!_

As the men grew more fearful, Bahamut finally revealed himself. Hissing, growling in fury, his voice shaking the air and the world around him, Bahamut flew out of the tree and landed right in front of the men. He stretched out his full height. He flashed his tail and extended his wings. He gave out a bone-chilling cry, roaring like the voice of doom. The men saw this…and immediately turned white as ghosts. Their revelry was forgotten. Their eyes filled with pure fear. They were totally consumed by it, and unable to move. They stared in terror at Bahamut, stretching over them. They couldn't even scream. Heat poured from Bahamut's mouth. His eyes blazed with a horrible light. He blasted at them angrily, his voice full of anger and rage.

"You monsters! You fiends! You despicable wretches! How _dare_ you engage in this wickedness on your own race! Your own kin! Heartless…soulless…merciless creatures! You murdered! You plundered! You destroyed! You ravaged! You killed three innocent lives in your insolent evil! Never was there even a trace of pity in your minds regarding any of them! And so…_there won't be one shred of pity in my mind as I slaughter you all like the worms you are!_"

Bahamut's vision went red and his mind clouded as he unleashed his rage. He wasn't sure exactly what happened. His fury was simply unleashed. A ball of fire went out and blew up the first man. There was nothing left but burnt flesh and bone thrown everywhere. Then the men screamed and tried to run. But it was too late. Another was burned alive, roasted with horrible heat. Still another was sliced into ribbons by Bahamut's claws. The last…Bahamut bit in two and blood exploded everywhere. When he spat out, there was nothing left but the lower torso and entrails…and a horrible taste in Bahamut's mouth and throat. Only then were they all dead. Only then was the ground covered with carnage and more death. Only then, did Bahamut's anger subside.

The sky cleared. The ground stilled. The wind grew calm again. Still, panting in anger and fury, Bahamut stood, wings unfurled, on the field. He held for a long time, fuming in rage and anger. But in the end, he exhaled hard. He relaxed at last. His excitement died, and his wings slowly lowered. Only then did he take another look over the field. And as he did, he saw the blood, burning, and flesh he had left in his anger. He saw the carrion men or what was left of them, and saw them lying in pieces all over the field. Two were still aflame, and the scent of rotting flesh was strong in his nostrils. He panted and snorted, looking over it all. Then…and only then…Bahamut felt remorse.

He had killed them.

He had killed them all.

It didn't help that they had earned it. It didn't help that they probably would have done it again. It didn't even help that he had saved another by killing them. He had still done it. He was a murderer. He had slaughtered them all. He let his anger take over him, righteous or otherwise, and he had acted without pity in a gesture of bloody revenge. Realizing that…realizing the horror of what he himself had done…he slumped lower to the ground. He let his head fall down, and let the wings fall to his sides.

He couldn't believe it. He let his anger get the best of him. He let it turn him into a killing machine, and he had acted in such a way. That was not his. He never acted like that before…except in battle. Against foes like Ark and Griever he was brutal, but not to humans. Not to his favored race. But he had been taken over so much…taken over by anger and a want to kill. For a moment…he saw the humans, his favorite race, as nothing better than those he destroyed. And so he had treated them in such that way. He didn't regard them as anything else than them. And in his rage, he had done such terrible things…

Unacceptable.

Never again could he act in this way.

But Bahamut had a sinking feeling that he hadn't done away with all the wickedness of men simply by killing these four. There could be more in the world. If there wasn't yet, there could be in the future. And he couldn't allow that either. Something had to be done against them. Someone had to defend people like these innocents that had been killed. Someone had to defeat them or stop them from hurting anyone else. But who could do it? Certainly not him. No, he would never risk taking human justice into his own hands again. If he did, his anger could spill over to the rest of the race…as he realized it nearly had today. No, he could not regard humans like that again. So who? Another esper? Why should he intrude into their lives? Besides…Gilgamesh was already on the world, and he was only one person. No, there had to be more. There had to be a system…a group…some togetherness that could handle this. But even that had to start with one. But who? Who could do it? Something had to deal with this wickedness, and to put it down whenever it arose. But who would do it?

"Sniff…hic…"

Bahamut opened his eyes at this. He raised his head, and looked over the field. As he looked over the field, he suddenly moved his eyes past the carnage and death and toward the source of the noise. When it rested on it, he found that he saw the little boy. He was still bound against the ground, but he had seen all the death and might of Bahamut. And so, naturally, he was scared. Scared…or grieved. Indeed, his dead mother was just in front of him. The child had lost everything…everything dear to him and related to him. His home was burning. His family was gone. He had nothing left…and by the looks of it, he was nowhere near one of the tribes. He was out on her own here. Bahamut's pity began to swell again. That poor boy…all on his own…alone…with no one to care for him…

…But then, an idea formed in Bahamut's mind.

Yes…yes, why not? Defenders of humans…dispensers of their justice…should it not be humans themselves? Should it not be people from their own race…proud, upstanding people, who maintained codes of goodness and order among them, and who would best deal with them in their own ways? And wouldn't a human sentencing a human be far more just than an esper doing it? Yes…it should, shouldn't it? And it could be. And it could start right here.

Bahamut at last rose up from his position. After that, he lumbered forward across the fields of death toward the fallen child. He circled him, for his face was down, and turned around so that he faced him. His head was down, but he suddenly gasped. Then, he went still as death. He dared not move. Fear grasped him. He tried not to shift or breathe, hoping that Bahamut would not see him somehow. He quivered in fear slightly. However, Bahamut merely lowered his claw, and proceeded to cut his bonds. Immediately, the boy was free, and his limbs went to the ground.

"Look at me." He told him.

Terrified, stricken, and quivering, the boy could not disobey. The voice was too loud and commanding. And so, quivering, sweating, and fearful, he slowly looked up. His eyes slowly went across Bahamut's body, looking at its size and power. All the time, his fear grew. At last, he looked at the beast's head, and into its powerful eyes. Immediately, he froze. He had been paralyzed by the esper.

"Do not fear me." Bahamut told him. "You are safe now. I won't hurt you. I have stopped the men who attacked you. They won't hurt you ever again either. What is your name?"

The boy swallowed hard. He quivered beneath him. He was terrified at the esper. He could barely move. After seeing what it had done, he was scared to death of it. Yet its voice was comforting and reassuring, and it tried to soothe him and quiet him down. It gave him enough bravery to speak somewhat. "…Haan." He slowly answered. He swallowed and paused a moment. He didn't want to look away from the creature, afraid to incur its anger. However, he did risk a look away. He looked down to his mother's body, then quickly back. "Is…is my mother…dead?"

Bahamut bowed his head in response, breaking the gaze and freeing Haan somewhat. "…I'm sorry."

Haan's eyes filled with tears. He bowed his own head, and began to weep again. Already he had seen his father and grandfather murdered as well. But now, his mother was gone too. And the bitterness was too much to bear. He couldn't see life without them. He couldn't live without them. They were his whole existence, and now he had nothing. He soon was sobbing loudly, but covering his face and keeping his head down. He cried into his hands deeply and wouldn't look up. His heart ached and his body felt cold. Never had he felt so alone and cold…so unloved and helpless in the world. But now, his mother and relatives were gone too. Gone, and they would never come back. He couldn't take it.

However, at length, a warm hand enveloped him. Something pulled him up and pressed him to its chest. The chest was warm as well, and the owner held him gently at that, letting him cry against it. He continued to do so for a long time. But in the end, he sniffled and looked up to the source. What he was was the great beast from earlier, hugging him to him and looking down sadly. However, he didn't feel so scared of him now. He felt somewhat more at ease at this point around him. He felt that he was friendly and kind, and right now, in his vulnerable state, he was the only one being good to him.

"Come." He told him at last. "We're going."

Haan blinked at that, and sniffled a little. "…Going where?"

"Your new home." Bahamut simply replied. And in another moment, the human boy was spirited away from the world of men and headed to a new remote place of Bahamut's chosing.

* * *

The man gaped in terror before him. These were the feared monsters of the woods…the devilish creatures of evil. If anyone ever saw them, they were doomed never to be seen by men again. And now, they loomed before him, grinning wickedly and flashing their teeth. The man had thought it would have been safe to travel through these woods. He hadn't believed the stories. And now, it was too late. He was miles from civilization, with no one to hear him or help him. He cowered against the ground which he walked on. He shrank back, as if to go into the dark woods and flee from them. But there was no escape. He could only stare at them in terror and fear the coming destruction.

The dreaded Sylph had found him.

The four green faeries flew around, giggling like mad. They buzzed around his head like mad insects, their eyes flashing with mischief and devilry. They rubbed their tiny hands in glee and looked at him with malice.

"Ooo…what shall we do to him?" One chirped.

"Let's suck the life out of this one too!" Another added.

"Nah. I'm full."

"Then let's turn him to stone!"

"They have that stupid look on their faces after that…"

"How about we make him a frog?"

"I hate warts!"

The man was petrified. Immediately, he threw himself on his knees and pleaded before the faeries. "P-Please, Sylph of the woods! Have pity! I lost my way! I didn't mean to disturb you!"

The Sylph quieted down after that. They looked at the begging man for a moment. Afterward, they looked up to each other, and gave each other a knowing smile. A grin was on their faces. Finally, one turned back to him and spoke.

"This is your lucky day. It's our little sister's birthday. So we're going to let you play a little game."

"If you get the question right, you win a big prize!"

"But if you get it wrong, we put you to sleep for a hundred years!"

The man trembled in fear, but didn't argue with the creatures. Another flapped down and hovered right in front of his face. She grinned wickedly, folded her arms behind her back, and asked her question. "…What is my favorite color?"

The man panicked. Sweat burst out on his brow. The Sylph giggled madly, loving to see him struggle and strain for the answer. A few tense moments went by as he trembled and tried to think. Finally, in the end, swallowing and scared out of his wits, he gave an innocent shrug, and spoke. "G…Green?"

"Correct!" The Sylph chirped in reply. Immediately, the man looked overwhelmed and relieved. He was stunned into silence as the Sylph came forward and kissed him on the cheek. She flew away after that, while the man still kneeled in shocked amazement. He didn't move, but slowly a smile began to appear across his face. However, the Sylph continued to look devilish as they backed up, and full of mischief.

"Ok…here's your prize!"

"You get to sleep for _two_ hundred years!"

The man's face turned to shock again, this time in fear. But it was too late. Giggling, the four Sylph swirled around in a circle. They shot forward and hovered around the man's head, swinging around in a great circle. As they did, small sparkles of dust appeared to rain down from them and fall on the person below like a soft mist. The man looked surprised for a moment longer, but then his eyes turned glazed, his eyelids drooped, and giving a great sigh he fell backward and landed on his back. Moments later, he was snoring loudly. The Sylph stopped circling, and in a giggle they all cheered each other on for a moment. Then, they turned, and in a flash began to fly away down the road. They flew a considerable distance from the cursed man before they began to speak again.

"You see the look on his face?"

"Priceless!"

"I love that joke!"

"I hope another human fool comes down the road today!"

"Me too! I feel like trouble!"

"Me three!"

"Me four!"

"Hey, look! There's one!"

The Sylph looked up ahead to the direction their sister pointed. As they did, they saw that there was a figure ahead. He was tall…but he seemed to be a human. His back was to them, and he was dressed in a full-length, blood red cloak. Seeing another victim, the Sylph giggled in delight.

"Let's go!"

"Alright! Two in one day!"

Swirling around each other, the Sylph began to fly forward toward the man. They were eager at first, already plotting more mischief. But as they got closer…they noticed that the wind was growing still. The air was slowing down, and seemed to get stagnant. The forest grew cold…and dark. It felt a lot more like death rather than life now. The sun seemed to be blotted out. And a rotten stench seemed to be coming from up ahead. It made the four mischievous espers feel a bit uneasy. However, they swallowed, and tried to regain their composure as they kept flying to the man. They tried to focus on the jokes they would play.

At last, they reached the man, and immediately they flew around behind him and lapsed into their old behaviors.

"Hey you!"

"How are you today?"

"You want to be changed into a frog, a pig, or a midget?"

The figure didn't react immediately, but after a pause slowly turned and faced the Sylph. As he did, the confidence and cockiness of the Sylph quickly turned into unease. There was no man there, but instead a white skull, twisted into a horrible grimace that now beamed at them. The skull had no eyes, but instead had two red burning lights that glowed like coals. As the thing turned, the lights focused on the Sylph and burning into their own gazes. The Sylph recoiled at this. For the first time in their lives, they felt terror on seeing this thing. And so, for a moment they shrank back and stared back in fear. But it only lasted a moment. After that, they resumed their own cockiness. One flew forward and yelled at him.

"Hey ugly! What're you doing in our forest? You're not a human!"

The thing paused, but then answered in a bone-chilling voice. The Sylph quivered at it, because it was deep, cold, and foul. It made them freeze and tremble at the sound. "How observant of you." It answered grimly. It looked them over for a minute, then spoke again. "And what be you over-sized insects?"

The Sylph were stunned, but only for a moment. After that, they immediately huffed in anger. Their hurt pride was stronger than their fear. Their bodies turned tints of red, and they began to flap around angrily and yell back at him.

"How dare you?"

"You know who we are?"

"We're the terrors of these woods!"

"We're the most feared creatures on the Planet!"

"We're mean!"

"We're nasty!"

"We play naughty tricks!"

"We're the Sylph!"

If possible, the skeleton seemed to raise an eye socket in intrigue to this. "The Sylph?" He asked. He supplemented it with a low chuckle a moment later. "So…Starlet's little brats survived after all…to become naughty." He laughed a little at this.

This only made the Sylph angrier.

"Hey!"

"Don't make us mad!"

"We'll get you if you do!"

The skeleton snorted coldly. He turned and fully faced them. The air grew darker and colder. "You really think so?" He asked. "Then go ahead. 'Get' me."

The Sylph paused at this, and felt fear again. Never before had anyone not been unnerved by their actions. Never before had anyone been so certain and brave around them. And that confidence shattered their own. They grew tense and fearful, wondering what they were dealing with. They hesitated at this, not knowing who this guy was or how to react to this bravery. However, in the end, one of them asserted their boldness. She flew up and announced a cry. "Sylph! Chi-phago! Now!"

The others immediately cried out in unison in reply. Quickly, the four Sylph swirled together and formed a circle. After doing so, they began to spin rapidly in mid-air. As they did, a whining sound began to fill the air. It sounded sharp and distinct, like wind blowing through the trees in just the right way. It made a sharp whistling sound. The sound quickly began to grow, altering pitch and going up and down. As it did, the ring of Sylph began to glow with a pale green light. It grew brighter and brighter as the sound grew, seeming to gather more strength and power. At last, after a few moments of this, the ring came forward, and began to sail straight for the skeleton.

The man responded by merely lifting a cloaked hand, aiming a bony palm at the four, and then seeming to somehow spew a black, noxious miasma from the middle of it. It seemed to swirl with a life of its own, yet it was death and decay to all around it. The plants in the area wilted just from being nearby. The smoke swirled and turned colors ofrot and sickness, and immediately spread over the approaching Sylph. Within seconds, they snapped out of their attack. Instead, they all separated, grasped for their throats, and choked and gasped for air. But that wasn't all. The poisonous fumes made their blood turn to fire. Their skin felt like fire ant bites. Their eyes itched to the point of wanting to tear them out. Their muscles became stabbing pains. Soon, they all feel to the ground, and the skeleton continued to throw his poison over them. They writhed in agony, feeling more misery and anguish by the second. Their throats turned dry. Their thoughts turned to chaos. They wanted to die right there, only to be spared from the agony of the miasma. They screamed and whined in pain, helpless and dying under the cloud.

But at last, the skeleton broke it off. He calmly pulled back his hand and cut off the miasma. Then, he patiently watched for the next five minutes as the Sylph continued to writhe and cough violently. They trembled as if feverish, and looked pale like death. But slowly, the horrible effects left them. Their bodies slowly eased down. Their pain subsided, and they were able to be in control. Still, they were weak and agonized from the cloud, and writhed on the ground and moaned slowly. But once they had quieted down, the skeleton calmly addressed them.

"Now that any foolish ideas in your minds have been eliminated," He sneered. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hades, the _true_ power of this woods and soon the world. I am the essence of all that is fear and pain and death. So unless you four would like to taste of it once more, I suggest you never act so indignant to me again.

"That said, I come to the reason for my coming to you. You four have admitted that your lives consist of bringing mischief and misery to the world. Very well. That is exactly what I desire you to do. I can find much use for four espers on my side, and what I want you to do is to do what you have been doing, bringing mischief and misery to the world…only under my command. Do so, and you will be well rewarded for your efforts. Join me, and I will grant you all that you desire and make you goddesses among the denizens of this world."

The Sylph continued to writhe and moan a moment longer. But then, they slowly began to raise their heads. They glared at Hades, some anger in their appearances now, and spoke back. "And…if we refuse?"

"Then I have no further use for you, and you will be destroyed." Hades calmly responded. At that, he pointed his palm at the four again and again began to spray them with his deadly miasma. He only managed to do so for a second, sending the Sylph into another writhing fit again, before they screamed out to him.

"No! Please!"

"We'll do it!"

"We'll do whatever you say!"

Hades smiled at this, and cut off the miasma. Again, the Sylph had to writhe and moan for a few moments. But in the end, the mists died down, and they were free again. They writhed on the ground once again helpless, their once free spirits now bent under the yoke of their new master, their pride broken beneath his cruelty.

"That's better." He stated. "Know only this. You belong to me now, and you shall call me master. Ever attempt to break the bond that I now hold your lives with, and you will die much more slowly than you were just now. Now rise up. We have great work to do…work that will take generations to complete. And even so, it is only a small part of our overall goal. That will take much longer. There is much to do in the meanwhile to make all things ready. And we must start at once…right here."

Hades looked up and glared at the horizon, narrowing his gaze on the world that surrounded him…the world which he was now the enemy of.

"…It will take much effort to bend this Planet under the reign of chaos."

* * *

To be continued...


	10. Reunion

Piccolo Sky's Quote-For-The-Day: "It takes more than big-eyed characters and exaggerations of emotional reactions to make an Anime." (I'm talking to you, Teen Titans, Totally Spies, Avatar, etc.)_

* * *

Five Hundred Years Later_

No one ever really knew what happened that night five birthing rituals ago.

Odin was quiet the next day, and didn't speak to anyone. He retreated to his chambers and locked himself in. After that, he grew even more solitary than before. He never showed his face to Shoat or to anyone, and for hundreds of years he continued in just that way. He appeared whenever he was summoned, but barely said a word and kept to himself. He quickly hid again soon afterward. And he did so for the next five hundred years. All he ever did was stay in his room and train. It was as if he was preparing for Griever again after all these centuries. At any rate, he never told anyone what vexed him. Everyone assumed that it was due to how he had treated Shoat, and that he was feeling remorse. Starlet was glad he was punishing himself. And so, no one said anything or cared, but left Odin to his same old devices.

In contrast, Bahamut's "trip around the world" didn't end for ten years. Of course, it didn't take long for the espers to worry about him after he was gone for so long. A week after he left, people wondered what happened. Some thought he went after Wyvern. Others thought he was engrossed in the world too much again. No one knew. A few weeks later, they began to search for him. But no one found him. They neither sensed his energy nor saw any signs of him. For a moment, the espers grew fearful. Was there some esper-consuming fiend out there that had taken first Wyvern away from them, and then Bahamut? Needless to say, after years of not seeing him, the espers began to fear they would never see him again. Leviathan was made interim leader, and for three years he was the king of espers. But then, at long last, Bahamut did return one day. The espers were amazed, and immediately assaulted him with questions. Leviathan, of course, immediately relinguished the throne to Bahamut, but was intrigued at what he had done. However, amiable and normal as Bahamut was, he would not say what he had done or where he had gone. He only said that he had found a new mountain range where the dragons dwelled, and he had built a home there. He said he had lived among them for a time.

However, changes soon happened to the world after Bahamut returned. A new order of humans began to fill the world. Clad in armor shaped to be that of a dragon, wielding long spear-type weapons, mounting the lesser drakes of the world, they called themselves the Dragoons. There was only one at first, but this one knew all the secrets of dragon combat, and even executed a sort of diving move very similar to Palidor's own move. There was only one at first, but soon more of them began to pop up, no doubt trained by the first. Working as an order throughout the world, they acted as lawmakers and police for all the provinces on the Planet, keeping them safe from enemies and maintaining peace throughout the human realms. They put down lawlessness among the human tribes and defended the weak from the dangers of the wild.

It was a good thing they appeared too. For shortly after they appeared, some of the chromatic dragons became blatantly hostile. A few began to openly prey on human habitations, treating them like any other food or wild beasts. They went unchecked for a brief time, until the original Dragoon encountered a green one terrorizing a village. The two met each other in combat, and though the Dragoon did not escape without heavy damage, the green dragon was killed. After the victory, the Dragoon stripped the green dragon of its scales and made a new armor out of them, giving the warrior the likeness of a dragon itself. The espers were a bit uneasy about this behavior, Bahamut included. However, if it would strike fear into the hearts of other wicked dragons, he allowed it. He disowned any evil doer, even if they were from his own progeny. And so, the practice continued, and soon every Dragoon was wearing the scale armor of an evil dragon. As a result, the trouble-causing beasts were kept in check and the humans were allowed to prosper.

And prosper the world did. Humans continued to learn more technologies and advance further along. They invented new techniques for their crops and began to selectively breed them. They also managed to capture wild animals, tame them, and raise them for meat. They learned the secrets of weaving cloth from plants and utilized them. They discovered how to mine bronze and to heat and shape it into tools. They made clay into bricks and built homes out of them. They discovered how to make round objects called wheels and make carts out of them, and lash one of their domestic beasts to it to pull them.

Sadly, they did continue to divide further among themselves. They had split into seventeen different tribes by now. But not under the tribe with Gilgamesh. He not only grew, but united four other tribes beneath him, so that his territory was the largest of all the humans. He had a great city built for all of his subjects, surrounding it with a great clay wall and erecting a two-story house to house him and his men. Gilgamesh never mastered learning the art of shapeshifting, but he still passed for a human none the less. More than that, he passed for a superhuman. He was renown far and wide for his skill at battle and power. However, he was also a wise ruler, and was also renown for his learning and wisdom. He went beyond being the tribe leader, and was now called by his subjects their king.

Terratopolis was no longer simply a dwelling place for espers either. It had grown into an esper city. With no interruptions in five generations, many had given birth. The original espers now showed a look of experience and wisdom on them. They seemed older than much of the others though they were ageless. There were many espers of all different ages. They all built their own houses and halls within Terratopolis. Gone were the old stone tunnels. Illumination, irrigation, plants, and even stairs were put into them now. Large sections of the mountain were hollowed out to make other grounds areas besides the central one, although the central one was now officially a forest. Rich soil covered it now after decades of work. And through it, the thirty-five espers that made up the whole population now dwelt. Even Shoat was now fully grown and a father and grandfather. There were enough espers to delegate responsibilities to others and leave others room to work and focus on other tasks. They were truly forming a society now.

The latest surprising development was in the new twins of Ifrit and Shiva. This resulted in two strange espers. One was a great yellow bird, while the other was a white, fluffy being with small little wings, a cat face, and a small ball bouncing on its head. The former was called Chocobo. The latter was called Moogle, or Mog for short. The two didn't seem to like living among the other espers long. They moved into the real world, and no one had heard anything of them yet. However, it appeared that they had found native creatures to pair up with…

Bahamut smiled and thought of how good things were doing overall as he walked through the courtyard. The first courtyard, of course. That was always his favorite, perhaps at least somewhat due to the fact that he had made it. He looked over to one side and saw some of the esper children playing with one another, and then turned to another to see some participating in schooling courtesy of Leviathan. That had been his idea two hundred years ago, to give all espers some sort of education. After all, none of them had the intrinsic memories and knowledge as the originals had. The sun was shining and it was another great day. All seemed to be well in the world for the time being, and that made Bahamut happy.

Of course, he had been the one who started the Dragoons.Haan had been the first, trained underneath him for ten years in a secluded part of the world. But he didn't tell anyone else that. It turned out he had learned quite a few secrets about training himself during the interim period, and he wasn't too eager to share them just yet. However, he was glad for what he did. Because of that, the world had peace. And that was what he had been hoping for all along. Not since that day five hundred years ago had he come close to worrying about the evil of humans growing out of control. They had their differences still, but their violence was kept in check now. Things were good. There was nothing left to do but grow and develop, and both espers and humans had certainly done that. Two hundred years ago the humans expanded to have relations with the dwarves. And a hundred years ago great things called ships that the humans had built arrived on elf territory. So the world was still expanding and becoming more closely knit. All in all, it was a great thing for Bahamut to behold, and he was happy to see all of it.

And yet…in the midst of all this…there was something brewing on Bahamut's mind. He would be in his meditative trances on some days. He would be scanning the world and feeling fine about everything, seeing everything move along nicely. But occasionally…he would catch a ripple of something. Something evil…the same nature of evil as Griever had been. And this one had power, not like the humans he met. But every time he saw it and tried to look again, it was gone. Initially Bahamut thought it was a mistake, but it happened so often now that he began to wonder if that was true. But if it was real…what was causing it?

"Ah. There you are, Bahamut."

Bahamut was shaken from his thoughts and turned his head to the side. As always, the one who most frequently brought him out of his thoughts was Leviathan. He had abandoned his students for the moment, and was now approaching the dragon. He was again in his human form. Nowadays, Bahamut rarely saw Leviathan in his full serpent form. He was so eager to please Starlet he usually remained human. He also claimed he wanted to be a man of mystery around the espers. Indeed, the latest generation wasn't exactly sure what he looked like in his true form. Now, the esper marched over to Bahamut, and soon stood at his side. He dressed like a man now, and in a very sagely way in royal purple, sometimes keeping a hood over his head. It was drawn back now as he greeted his brother.

"Good morning, your highness."

Bahamut blushed a little and sighed. "Do you have to keep calling me that?"

"It's been six hundred years. Aren't you used to it by now?" Leviathan simply answered.

"Hardly." Bahamut grimly replied.

"Don't be so uptight." Leviathan scolded in response. He paused for a moment, looking the dragon over. Then, he smiled. "I see you haven't been practicing your transformations that well."

Bahamut snorted in response to this. "Please, Leviathan. I've already learned how to turn into a human man, an elf child, a mako shark, a storm crow, a lion, and even a field mouse. Just because I don't wander around transformed doesn't mean I know any less."

Leviathan was indignant, however. "Why stop there? You can change into so many other things. I'm trying to master them all."

"Well, you do that if it makes you feel good. I'm satisfied with what I have." Bahamut replied. He was rather satisfied with his forms as well. He was pleased to see he could not only transform into a human, but a handsome human. His body was strong and tall, with wise and powerful features. His eyes were a stunning blue in that body. The only difference between him and other humans was that he had a head of white hair though he appeared quite young.

Leviathan, however, didn't like this answer and frowned again. "What else is there to do around here, Bahamut?" He asked. "Honestly, I am always keeping busy trying to learn new things, while the rest of you just lay around doing the same thing all day and not having a care in the world. Don't you get bored?"

"I'm content with what I have." Bahamut simply answered. "And I remember what happened to get it."

Leviathan sighed in response. Both brothers went silent for a moment. They looked around a bit and felt the breeze, and listened to their children play. Finally, at long last, Bahamut developed a concerned face. He turned his head and looked over to the serpent in human form. "What do you think about Odin?"

Leviathan frowned. "What about him?" He asked somewhat curtly.

"How long do you think he's going to be like this?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you care?"

"Not especially. Not after what he did. He needs to stop moping and redeem himself first. I'd say by being a father to his children, but it's a little late for that. I and Starlet had to raise Shoat like our own son, and I don't have too much kindness toward him for making Shoat blind in one eye and mute. Every time I saw him as a child throw a fit and desperately try to tell me something but be unable to even make a groan, I think of him. Now I know I shouldn't grudge like that, but I can't help it."

"I guess I understand." Bahamut slowly answered with a sigh.

Leviathan bowed his head for a moment after that. He exhaled himself and thought for a few moments. Then, however, he raised his head and shrugged a bit. "…He's been a bit more antsy lately, however."

Bahamut perked up his head at that and turned to Leviathan. "Eh?"

Leviathan nodded. "Just yesterday morning I saw him pacing around outside, like he was agitated. The day before he was up at the rim of the mountain, looking around at the world as if he was seeing something I wasn't. He keeps slipping up in practice sessions too. I hear it. It's like something is bothering him or weighing him down."

Bahamut paused in reply to that. He thought over these new pieces of information, and tried to tie them into what he already knew. "You know…" He answered after a moment. "Occasionally…lately…I've been sensing strange things as well. I keep feeling spikes of power for a moment…an evil power. And its strong too, strong enough to be felt all the way over here. But I can't pinpoint it." He paused, then shrugged. "I could be wrong, you know. I thought that was just my imagination. But if it was real, then perhaps Odin senses it too."

Leviathan turned his head to Bahamut at this. His eyes widened, and his look turned to surprise. "…So…you've been sensing it too?"

Bahamut's own eyes widened at that. "You mean…?"

Leviathan nodded. "Yes. Both I and my students have been feeling it from time to time. We thought it was some sort of spike or anomaly, perhaps even a group misconception. But if you say that you sense it as well, then I no longer doubt it is significant."

Bahamut, looking at Leviathan, tensed up at that. So, the power he felt was real? And if that was the case, what did it mean? Where was it coming from? What was making it? Somehow, was there a new Crusader brewing in the world? And what devilry was it planning if it was? Bahamut's peace was shattered, and he began to tense up as to what this all meant.

"Well, assuming these spikes of evil are real…who, or what, is causing them?"

Leviathan gazed back coldly and silently in reply. He said nothing. However, if he was coming to an answer, he never got to spit it out. For as the two of them stared at each other, thinking about this very subject, a voice suddenly called loud and frantic from far overhead.

"Lord Bahamut!"

Immediately, both brothers turned their heads upward. The other espers in the area did as well. What they saw in short order was a silver dragon. It was spiraling overhead, and looking to come down to land. Bahamut was instantly intrigued. The dragons never came to Terratopolis except during big events. And then they always came in groups. For one alone to come out…it had to be something. Plus, he detected the fear and the anxiety on the voice of the dragon. Seeing that, he knew at once it had to be something serious. A cold feeing rippled through Bahamut's spine as he looked to this new arrival.

The younger espers immediately looked to the sky and ooed and ahhed at the new arrival. Others ran off back inside, only to emerge a moment later with their parents. Others peaked out of the now-numerous windows inside the crater of Terratopolis, and looked out on the situation. Still others simply ran out of the tunnels and began to look at this. But Bahamut himself only slowly walked forward, keeping his head to the sky, approaching an opening on the ground where the silver dragon was headed. Leviathan followed behind. However, wise mind always at work, he scanned the area around him in the crater for signs of someone else. He didn't see him right away, so he kept coming forward and following Bahamut to the center. Soon, the main grounds were covered with espers, clamoring among each other and looking intrigued and surprised at this latest event.

The silver dragon slowly flapped down and landed right in the midst of them all. However, Bahamut noticed that it was flying with a half-limp, and was very erratic on landing. When it did land on all fours, it recoiled one limb back in pain. Immediately, the espers grew silent all around…and the only noise now was a few light gasps at the sight of the dragon. One of his horns was broken off. One of his eyes was battered shut and he missed four teeth. Blood was caked around its mouth and around several wounds across its body. The worst was the aforementioned leg, still dripping blood and looking on the brink of needing to be amputated. Seeing this, Kirin, who happened to have been called out, readily came forward and began to focus her power on healing the unfortunate dragon. Bahamut stood in silence, gazing at the dragon and feeling cold and troubled inside. Obviously, there was some trouble…and he had a feeling that it had to do with the evil he was feeling. Leviathan watched the dragon, but spent most of his gaze still looking to the side.

"Sir…" Bahamut began, breathlessly looking over the beaten creature. "What has happened to you? Who has done this?"

The dragon panted and quivered as Kirin healed it, but continued to look troubled and tense. "A creature of evil, my lord. A foul beast, that now is poised to make an attempt to wage war on the world. A monster that calls itself Hades, sir."

That was the cue. Leviathan saw the reaction immediately.

On mention of that name, Odin immediately came out of one of the tunnels and gazed at the silver dragon with fierce interest.

* * *

So much to do and so little time. 

However, Hades had made very good use of his time.

At once, the esper realized that his plans would never be fulfilled in his lifetime. He realized the limitations of his own power, and the possibilities in the future. Many things could arise, and not even he could guarantee that his eventual ends wouldn't find something that could supercede him. However, he was intelligent, and not a mindless, uncontrollable, power-hungry monster. He knew that he couldn't hope to see his dreams completed in his lifetime. And so, his goal was to plant an unshakable root…one that would always regrow and never be uprooted…pave the way for a future when his plans would eternally be fulfilled.

After working out his plan, Hades had set to work. First, he needed assistance. Alone he could not hope to do anything. However, he saw that despite the idealistic appearance of this world, there was still much discord. He found allies in places, if only he made sure to look in a dark enough corner, or delve deep enough into a black swamp. The goblin-men were his first allies. Primitive, stupid, banished from the worlds of elves, men, and dwarves…twisted, deformed, putrid specimens of the world, turned into physical wickedness centuries earlier by unknown forces. He went to these first. He had to travel high and low to find them, in hills, in caves, and on mountaintops. But find them he did. He offered them gifts. He offered them tools. But most of all, he offered them revenge. They could take the towns of men. They could feast on manflesh. They could have riches beyond their wildest, greedy dreams. And all Hades wanted in return was their service…and perhaps one other thing.

These were a good enough start, but Hades quickly went to other areas and found better. Great serpents of the desert. Giants and ogres of the northern mountains. Beastmen of the western forests. All over the world, there were the "dirty", "low" races of the Planet that were only too happy to have a chance for power, revenge, and food. He taught them how to use tools. He taught them how to organize. He arranged them into formidable forces and began to make an army out of them. In time, he also came across wicked, wild men that had been banished from their towns. These too he made promises too, and as a result gained their skills for his own use. All of them were put together, and they combined to build a great black fortress of stone right in the midst of that first forest. It stood three stories tall and was crowned with bleak, cruel spires and guarded by a heavy iron gate. This was the world's first true tower. And it was from here that Hades extended his plans.

Recently, however, he had won some true allies. He had gone out to the mountains to the southwest of the world, and there he had met with the races of colored dragons. He could see their hearts, and could see the evil desires flowing through them. He knew the wickedness they bore and the malice they harbored in their minds. And so he spoke to them.

"Descendents of the great Bahamut… Too long you have labored in the world alone and cast out from your fathers. Too long have you been subservient to their ideals and bowed under their yokes. Too long has your great power gone unrealized on the Planet. You are the rightful superiors to all races, humans, elves, and dwarves…descended from the great dragon king himself. Rise up and take what is yours. Join me, and you shall gain the power and renown you deserve. You shall destroy the brethren that disowned you and be named gods among the mortals of this world."

It took little effort to sway their pride to his cause. By the end of the speech, they believed that they had been wronged and were performing both justice and revenge, forgetting completely that they had been the ones that abandoned Bahamut. It didn't matter to Hades, so long as their minds and hearts were twisted to be his servants.

Hades power grew continuously. In the top of his tower, he constantly expanded his darkness and his abilities. His strength grew every day. He had left Odin before knowing he couldn't win, but since then he had gained much strength. At the peak of his skill, he had managed to make a special item which he kept there…the Oblivion Stone. It had taken much to get. The materials had not been easy or the preparations to form the stone. But the materials had been part of the deal with the colored dragons. They gave him the basal stones he needed to make the Oblivion Stone as part of their deal. And that was just one of Hades' many deals…

The goblins were recruited with the provision that they build a great foundation a thousand meters square on the land if the tower ever fell. The ogres were recruited with the provision that they gather thousands of tons of obsidian stone from their land and bring it there. The men were recruited with the provision that they fashion a throne that could hold something the size of the Oblivian Stone in a throne-type altar. One by one, each race became a servant of Hades provided that they fulfill certain obligations. It was perfect in Hades' mind. Not one of them knew what the purpose was for. Not one of them knew what they were contributing to make. But this was what Hades' true intention was. He had plans for a great temple to be made…provided he failed and his tower fell. This temple was the essence of his true plan. It was the true root of evil. It would take centuries to complete. Even then, it would take centuries more for the preparations for his plan to be made. But it would happen. All was taken care of already. Only one part was left. One person had to remain who did know the secrets of Hades' plan. This person had to be the Architect, the one who would make all the component pieces fit together. Hades had not picked this one yet, but once he had everything would be set in motion. However, he had time for that.

He had other concerns now.

He did have to give the impression to his allies that this was the main plan. And right now, that had a thorn in its side. Hades was very near to the province of Gilgamesh, the very esper that was his own father's first son. Weak and feeble as the esper was, he seemed to be doing something right to keep his people alive. And as a result, they had a rather strong human organization. Hades had originally thought to smash this city and kingdom into dust, then move on to destroy the rest of the human world. But they were rather strong. Small forces of goblins and ogres he had sent out had been destroyed rather quickly. Evidently, an assault was going to have to be more intelligent to be successful.

And so, Hades had struck out more carefully. He had attacked outlying homes and fields with small forces instead. He did this until the enemy sent their own forces out to counter. Then, he brought up a larger army and overwhelmed them. He had done this several times, striking randomly in each spot, destroying a good portion of land and several of the outposts. By doing so, Hades had managed to eat away at the troops. He didn't intend to beat them this way…just weaken them until they could be destroyed with one swoop. The army wouldn't try an attack now. They'd stay centered in their city and try to defend it. They'd be concentrated there, and fit to be smashed in one blow. And it seemed as if that time would happen soon.

Hades looked up from the front portico of his tower. It was a small stone walkway out of the building, with the tiles arranged like monster scales. The railing itself looked like black bones and claws piercing the sky. He stared out from the top of it, turning away from his work on the Oblivian Stone for the moment. That awaited in the dark chamber behind, hidden and black in the area. Overhead, the sky was dark and cloudy eternal. Through the power of Hades' abilities, he managed to keep it dark constantly. That encouraged his dark creatures more. Many of them disliked the light. Besides…he enjoyed the effect on those around him. It killed the useless vegetation of the forest and cleared the area, making it easier to see around and move. However, his intention wasn't merely to give himself a break. He awaited a new arrival. And soon enough, it did indeed come.

A great shape shot out from the clouds overhead and bore down to the tower. It was tinged like red flame and flapped its great leathery wings out at tremendous lengths. It was much larger than Hades, but he didn't fear it. He was far beyond it already, and the creature realized it. Soon, it spiraled around and made for Hades himself. Moments later, it landed on the spired black stone railing that surrounded the small awning out of the building. The massive creature rested its own talons on the stone, and then lowered its wings and head to the esper below. It was none other than a red dragon.

"So, Krang," Hades darkly asked. "What is the decision of your clan?"

The red dragon hesitated a moment. He growled in his throat, but finally bowed his head down to him. "Very well, Lord Hades…we have agreed to pledge our help to your cause. But our conditions have increased."

Hades paused. "…I'm waiting."

"In addition to the lands that we demanded lordship over," Krang continued. "We want all the gold of this realm given to our race. We understand you have no need for it."

Hades was intrigued at this. "True…but what need do dragons have for it?"

Krang snarled in reply. "If you refuse, then we have nothing more to say. Suffice to say we desire it. Do you refuse our request?"

"Not at all. The gold is yours." Hades calmly responded, quite ignoring the fact he had made a similar promise to the goblin kings. If the goblins had a dispute with it, they could take it up with the dragons. See how far they went. "That said, I take it you now pledge yourselves to me?"

"One other thing." Krang responded. As he did, he began to grow angry looking. Something tensed within him, and his muscles tightened. He glared furiously with deep hate in his eyes. "…Grant me the death of the High Dragoon. Give to me without fail his head."

"I swear it shall be done." Hades calmly responded. "All I desire in response is my previously made arrangements. Regardless of what happens, I want that done. And I shall bind you underneath this."

Krang snarled again, but then calmed down somewhat. He bowed his head slightly downward once again. He managed to assent somewhat silently to the dark esper. With that done, Hades immediately put his hand into his cloak, and pulled out a small object. It was a tiny statue, carved into the position of a dragon. He moved forward at that toward the red dragon, who growled and put out his hand to him. Hades held up a hand and responded by extending a long black claw from one finger. He reached over and sliced a cut onto Krang's hand, and dribbled the blood of the dragon onto the statue. Just one little precaution. If the races he recruited tried to back out of the deals, he would bind them and their offspring under a curse. They would fulfill his requests, or pay dearly for it. Once that was done, he pulled his statue back and returned it to his cloak.

"How soon can I expect the dragons to arrive?" Hades responded.

"…We are gathering together." Krang responded after a pause. "By tomorrow, most will be gathered."

"Good." Hades answered. "All other preparations are being made. With the assistance of the dragons, we will at last be able to put the forces of Gilgamesh down. Once he has fallen, this continent will be ours. Gather your people together and join the units that make up our army. We are forming now."

Krang raised his head to that. "So…we are beginning?"

"Indeed." Hades responded. "In a week, perhaps a slight bit longer, we will be ready to march on this world. I have only a few things left to complete."

"Understood, Lord Hades." Krang responded. The great red dragon slowly bowed to Hades again, reluctant and slow while he did. He still didn't seem to like serving under another. But with that done, he turned and took off again. A rush of hot wind blew past Hades, but then the dragon was in the air and rushing off again. With that done, Hades calmly turned and began to walk back to tower. Krang could dislike serving under him as much as he wanted. He was now bound to him until he fulfilled his promise. The strength of the dragons was now his. They would serve only one true purpose now other than contributing to the temple. That was protection. The only way that his plans could fail now was if, somehow, the enemy came and managed to stop him before he could complete the Oblivian Stone preparations. And he had more than enough forces to make sure that wouldn't happen. Gilgamesh was an intelligent leader, but his battle was lacking. He would never bring him down.

The mission he began five hundred years ago was nearly complete.

* * *

"…And that is what I heard." 

The espers stood in stunned positions. They couldn't believe it, Bahamut most of all. He had thought the world was coming to peace at last. He thought the Dragoons had put this down. But no…things were much worse. A far more evil force was at work now. And it had somehow drawn all of these forces to it. It was bringing all these foul races of the world together to wage a war on the humans and other races of the world. And now, they had the dark dragons aligned with them. They had declared open war on the metallic light dragons, and pledged themselves to this foul creature, whatever it was. This being called Hades looked to cover the world with another era of darkness. And that only filled Bahamut with fear and anxiety, not to mention shock. How could this had happened? How could something so evil come into the world? It was beyond belief. And now, all of the espers looked to one another in anxiety and unease. They all became filled with fear and tension. Bahamut looked around in stunned silence.

Leviathan swallowed, and at last turned to Bahamut to break the silence. "That's the evil we've been feeling, Lord Bahamut."

Bahamut frowned in response, shaking his head. "But something like this I should have sensed easily. An evil power of this great strength I should have felt years ago…"

Leviathan paused for a moment at that, and then looked more nervous. "…Unless he somehow knows how to cover up his presence. I've been working on something like that…"

Bahamut paused at this, looking nervous. But then, he turned his head back to Leviathan. "But…only espers would know how to do that… And none of us sired that thing…did we?"

Leviathan would have perked up at that, and then turned back to Odin. Perhaps he would have even sent out an accusation. But regardless of what would have happened, it was too late. For at that moment, a great whinny came out that attracted the attention of everyone. They all turned and looked to the sight. When they did, they saw that Odin was again framed in the entrance, but now he was on Slepnir. The great horse creature was rearing up and whining a great cry into the sky. Leviathan and Bahamut both stared at him in surprise…and saw that he was armed for battle. He was in full attire with Zantetsuken sheathed at his side…and Ragnarok sheathed slightly below it. He paused there only a fraction of a second. Then, in a flash, Slepnir took off into the sky.

"Odin!" Leviathan called. "Wait!"

But it was too late. Odin was already on his way up. He probably could hear Leviathan, but he refused to stop. He only spurred on his mount faster, and soon sent him upward toward the opening. Within a few moments, the esper had cleared it. He turned in the sky, spurred Slepnir again, and was soon gone. The group of espers were left alone below.

Bahamut scowled at this and bowed his head. "Damn…where is he heading now?"

Leviathan didn't answer. He already knew where he was going. Somehow, he knew that Hades had to have something to do with Odin. And now, Odin was going to sort it out. Guessing from the look of the swords…it wasn't going to end nice.

* * *

Gilgamesh had a hard time with life now. Things had changed since he left. 

He had carried out his plans well. It took him a month, but he eventually journeyed to the world of humans. He held out for quite a while. He didn't interact but just looked at the people. He learned about them and tried to mimic their ways. In the meantime, he developed new clothing for himself to help hide his appearance, although he was not able to learn Leviathan's technique nearly as quickly or easily as he had hoped. He had to go in disguise. But eventually, he was able to make contact with humans, particularly when one group broke off from another.

There was a struggle for power in this particular group. After the death of their initial leader, several people tried to take control. All of them were inadequate, having left for selfish reasons and now seeking to control these people for selfish reasons. They had just seen an opportunity to rule over a group of people who weren't under a fairer chief. Gilgamesh could tell that from how they oppressed the others from the start, forcing them to do all the labor in constructing a new town, finding the food, and taking who they wanted from the women. Eventually, when they began to bully some of the younger men, and threatened to hurt them for speaking out against them, Gilgamesh intervened. With the power of the Masamune, he easily dispatched them. He did not kill them, but made sure they wouldn't hurt anyone again. The townspeople were shocked at this new arrival and his sudden actions, but they had also grown discontent enough with their current leaders to appreciate what he had done. Soon after, he used his own storehouse of knowledge to begin teaching the others how to live more efficiently. After doing this, the people began to trust him more, and he won over the initially skeptical persons. Within two years, he was their newly appointed chief.

That had been centuries ago. It hadn't taken long for the people to realize that Gilgamesh was more than a mere man. He was now feared throughout the entire region for being a superhuman and immortal. His mere presence was more than enough to strike fear into enemies, and almost enough to make his subjects bow in worship. Although he didn't care to be worshipped as a god, most people thought he was some sort of supreme being. They even boasted of it, laughing down the leaders of adjacent communities. While time or circumstance would destroy their leaders, their one endured endlessly from one generation to the next. He was the strongest and mightiest of all warriors.

And yet…that alone was not enough now.

Gilgamesh now found himself standing at the bulwark of a great catastrophe. There was some new army forming in the west. An army of dark, violent creatures. The very ground around them seemed to rot and grow dim, and the clouds never departed from over the area. It was always black there…but worse than that, more and more fiends and monsters began to gather there every day. For a brief while, Gilgamesh tried to overlook this. He hoped for the best, thinking it was just another society forming. But that was a naïve thought. His own subjects didn't believe it. Those under him continuously warned him of new developments, urging him to take action. But he would not make an unprovoked first strike. He trained more warriors and prepared his defenses, but other than that did nothing.

However, the enemy soon made the first strike for him. Their own strength waxed faster, and soon they lashed out at the guard outposts of Gilgamesh's realm. Gilgamesh responded by sending his own troops out to counter, but each time the enemy came back with renewed strength, striking in a different spot. They never took any prisoners. They were armies made of vicious, mad creatures, and they ruthlessly killed all that came across them. Their sole purpose was destruction, and they cared for nothing else. They did not negotiate, but destroyed all of Gilgamesh's own emissaries and sent back their heads. They refused any peace or agreement. They cared for nothing but destroying Gilgamesh's domain.

Gilgamesh continued to try to counter with sorties, but he was quickly beginning to see the folly of this. It was wearing down his own army units instead of giving his foes a decisive blow. They didn't feel losses or fear. They fought back every time. Now Gilgamesh's own numbers were beginning to thin out. He couldn't risk taking the same course any longer. But he didn't know what to do…

Gilgamesh sat in a large chair in the center of the Great Hall. His arm was propped up on one side and he tiredly lowered his head into his hand and held it there. He stayed frozen in that position, unable to move and locked in thought. His body was concealed by a great red cape that was wrapped around his face as well as his body. It was useful in that sense, because if he didn't have that then some would fixate on his white skin, or others would see he still looked rather young. Three powerful men stood in the hall with him. They were all dressed similarly to him. Gilgamesh's first city had been in an arid region, and this kept down the hot winds and blowing dust storms. However, while his cape was bright red, the others were more natural, dim colors. They didn't stand out at all compared to Gilgamesh's. There was one standing toward the rear, his clothes dark and torn and his body bloody and bruised. He was the head scout in Gilgamesh's forces. He had just barely come back that day, with worse news than before. Outside, in the surrounding city-state, his subjects lived in fear and dread of what would happen tomorrow or the next day. His army filled with tension and anxiety, and the dark clouds to the west seemed to be extending over this realm as well.

"A new division came forth today, marching toward the Dark Tower." The scout addressed, panting hard still. "Ten trolls, fifty ogres, and three hundred goblins. We would have tried to assess the enemy more, but the enemy has a new weapon…the dark dragons."

The other two men stiffened at this, fear coming over them. Gilgamesh did nothing.

"They slaughtered almost all of our patrol." The scout continued. "But we did discover one thing. The Dark Tower is being led by a dark being…a monster dressed in blood red. It is not human…neither living nor dead."

The room was silent in response to this. An uneasy chill passed over the men. However, Gilgamesh did not react. He continued to keep his head bowed and think. The men were uneasy. However, in the end, one spoke up.

"Well…we have a new target then." One spoke up. "We should attack the incoming troops. Starve the Dark Tower of any more reinforcements. Let them feel the same pain of loss that we feel. It should be easy for small forces to dispense with these incoming groups."

"But not with dragons." The other replied. "We've never had to fight dragons before. They have never organized under one banner. And I don't want to see them work more tricks against us. Too many of our measures have been too small thus far. I have another idea. Let us gather the Dragoons to us and summon our full strength. Let us call for all of our allies. Then, let us strike such a blow on this enemy that they will never threaten another kingdom again."

"We haven't the time to risk for such a move." The scout responded. "More arrive every day. The dark being gathers more to him every day."

"He cannot gather more if we strike at the blood that feeds him." The first responded. "We have 2,000 spears ready to strike right now. If we wait to gather strength, we could be diminished far below that."

"We cannot counter the dark dragons without the aid of the Dragoons." The second answered. "We should at least alert them. They can make us the most effective. But this piecemeal resistance will not work any longer. We must strike them hard and make them fear the King."

"Small blows or large blows, are enemies are inhuman fiends." The scout replied. "They have powers none of you are aware of. They will not be afraid. We cannot put them down."

"Then let us cripple them." The second spoke.

"We can cripple them by stopping their increase and making them feel each blow." The first protested.

"Feh…talk of crippling and blows…give them a blow they will never recover from. Wipe them out as they intended to wipe you out. Destroy them now while you can."

The three men immediately wheeled around to the entrance to the Great Hall. Gilgamesh himself suddenly snapped his head up and looked to the entrance to the hall. A change had come over him…a change that no others had seen in the entire time that Gilgamesh had been with them. Now, his face flushed. His skin seemed to turn whiter than ever. His eyes widened. But no one else saw this. They were all looking to the new arrival, as two guards, looking upset and a bit sore, ran forward after this new person. However, they seemed to treat him with some fear. After all…he stood about eight feet tall, and was great and fearsome looking. He was tall and caped, with burning red eyes and a great horned helmet.

The three men in the room immediately put their hands to short swords at their sides, while the guards pulled up their spears and aimed them at the back of the new arrival as he entered.

"To enter the Great Hall before the King is forbidden!" One guard cried at him.

"Who dares appear before the Lord Gilgamesh?" The first man demanded.

"Who is that? And why have you let him pass?" The second one also asked, turning to the guard.

The second guard panted in reply. "We were unable to stop him. His speed…it is that of an inhuman. He cast us aside like we were driftwood. He is an abnormal creature."

Hearing that, the other men stiffened, but then grit their teeth at the new arrival. They immediately drew their blades, and glared hatefully at the new person. This new one himself stood straight and tall, not seeming to care about any of this. He didn't react to any of the weapons. On the other hand, the new guards, spurred by talk of dark enemies and evil times, refused to stand down at this. They were ready to fight and strike down this new arrival, perceiving him as an enemy. What other type of inhuman would break into their King's hall in such a threatening manner?

However, they could not strike. That was because, immediately, Gilgamesh held his hand out to the new arrival in his accepting gesture, and he spoke out to the others in a stunned monotone, as his eyes focused entirely on the new arrival. "Put your weapons away at once."

All of the men turned to Gilgamesh in surprise at that. They hadn't expected that sort of response. However, they trusted their king. They knew nothing could beat him. And so, they turned back to the new arrival with a frown, but then slowly put their weapons away. They glared at him the whole time, but he gave them no mind. He focused only on Gilgamesh. The King did the same thing. He slowly lowered his hand, not looking away from the new arrival. He motioned away now. "Leave us."

The men turned and looked to Gilgamesh in surprise at that as well. They really didn't expect that response. However, they turned back to the new arrival with another frown after a moment. There was a pause, and they refused to move. But in the end, the guards grunted at the new man, turned, and began to walk away. The others hesitated, but then turned and finally walked away as well. They kept their eyes on the tall man as they went, never looking away until they had totally passed by. But they did in the end, and they walked away and returned to the entrance. They passed by and left the Great Hall. Soon, the only ones that were left were the man and Gilgamesh themselves. And there they stayed, silent and staring at each other. No one said anything or moved a muscle. They stared long at each other, not looking away, but seeming to seep into each other, trying to see what the eyes would show them as they stared at each other.

Finally, Gilgamesh inhaled deeply, straightening up on his throne.

"…Hello, father."

Odin too paused.

"…Hello, Gilgamesh."

Neither said a word. They had never said goodbye to each other. Centuries ago, when they parted, their last words had been in anger to one another. They hadn't made up since. They hadn't even seen each other since. Both had changed greatly. But now, neither said a word. Neither did anything. After all this time, both didn't know how to act around each other. And so they just stood there. They didn't say anything. Old thoughts and memories that neither had felt for generations came forth. All of them came running through their minds and filling their heads and hearts. For though Gilgamesh hadn't prepared himself to face Odin…he had been conducting all of his affairs for all this time with the sole goal of making his father proud of him. He had wished so desperately to make something of himself. But now, situation as it was…he felt that he was only another item of shame before him.

"…I'm sorry this isn't a better time." Gilgamesh finally said, not asking even a word about the espers, home, or his father. "I would have wanted to show you better. Now, it appears that you have come to see the doom of my people."

Odin was silent in response.

"…Why have you come now, father?"

"To help you in this conflict." Odin responded flatly. "To help you destroy your enemy."

Gilgamesh didn't answer right away to that. He bowed his head down and inhaled sharply. "…My people may think that I am blind within this house, but I can see this new foe better than any of them. I can sense his evil even from here…filling my house with a horrid stench of death and darkness. It only grows stronger each day, chilling my blood and bringing rumors of death. I would blot it out if I could, but I haven't the power. Now I must play for time to try and summon more allies to myself…assuming any will come. I try to unite the peoples, and my neighbors believe me to be a tyrant for doing so, where they are the ones who's lust for power fractured the people to begin with. Now there is no one left, and my hands are tied in every way."

Odin paused for a moment in response to that.

"I am the father here…and yet you look to be the old man, slumped on that throne and moaning."

Gilgamesh's throat tightened. Unconsciously, his fist balled up. He bowed his head away from Odin but kept talking. "Perhaps I am not the glorious king that you expected to see, father. But I am a king. And I have ruled these people for centuries now. The weight of dealing with them and their problems for so long has weighed down on me. I've tried my best to make them grow and prosper, and the years and endless ages of doing it has made me disheartened. At least other rulers have the privilege of dying after a single life time…" He bowed his head further at this.

Odin, however, frowned at this.

"You need me more than ever, son." He darkly answered. "Never would I thought to have heard such things coming from your lips. You talk like a man already dead. I never taught you to quit in times of adversity. It is now, more than ever, you should remember what I taught you."

"What do you want me to do then, father?" Gilgamesh answered, his head rising and speaking with some anger. He would always respect Odin…but he felt some annoyance at Odin's inability to see the situation and the problem. He did not understand this. He was not a king like him. He did not have to be responsible for anyone but himself.

"I want you to do just as I said." Odin answered. "Strike this enemy down."

Gilgamesh paused for a moment. He said nothing, but seemed to be thinking.

"…You know something about this enemy that I do not."

Odin stiffened himself at that. If possible, he seemed to turn a bit white as well. However, the color passed quickly, and he spoke again. "This is no mortal foe, as your people have told you." Odin answered. "This is an esper."

Gilgamesh raised his head at this, genuinely surprised at that.

"An esper spawned from darkness." Odin grimly answered. "A mistaken birth made by a foolish esper. He is nothing but evil. He has no heart or mercy or pity. He only wants to destroy. He is only holding back now to weaken you. But once he has enough strength…once he sees you trying to gather your own power…he will strike and smash you before you have the chance. You must strike now, while he doesn't know what is coming."

"Strike with what, father?" Gilgamesh answered incredulously. "I pride myself on diplomacy, not arms. You heard the words of my own people. I have 2,000 spears and 800 swords. My enemy has fiends the likes of which my warriors have never had to fight against, and I have no way of knowing what the enemy will throw against me. I don't even know how many they have. Some estimates put the numbers over 9,000."

"You are a warrior esper." Odin responded. "You wield the greatest blade ever."

Gilgamesh's eyes widened at that. However, it was only a moment. He finally snorted, and looked back down to the ground. "So…Leviathan and Ogopogo decided not to keep the Masamune a secret."

"You are a king. Rally your people. Lead them to victory." Odin urged.

Gilgamesh sighed in response, shaking his head. "I'm not just responsible for myself, father. I'm responsible for them. They're my people. I've been their king ever since each one of them is born. There isn't a member of my army I don't know personally. Even the loss of so much as one is a tragedy for me. And I know that any attack will bring in more death. You're asking me to put them to death. I cannot allow them to go into such a dangerous situation without even knowing what they will be facing…without assurance of victory."

"If you truly care about your people, you will be bold and strike while you can." Odin answered firmly. "Lead your people in battle against this monster…or so help me _I_ will."

Gilgamesh looked up to this, but not in abrupt shock. It was more of a slow performance. That is because he knew how his father reacted to situations like this. He knew his response. Now, he didn't move, and stared back at him. Odin, however, was resolute and stared back. He showed no wavering in his eyes. Gilgamesh inhaled once again. His mood changed, growing grim and dark.

"…You were always this way, father." He slowly answered.

Odin said nothing in response.

"There was never any room for disagreement or second opinion. It had to be your way or nothing. I could never put my foot down on anything. You always had the last word. I could never make the decision."

Odin lowered his head a little, but said nothing. There was a pause again for a few moments. Neither said anything. Gilgamesh looked down and continued to look dark. However, he finally inhaled deeply, and then stood up, rising from his throne at long last.

"Very well. If I am going to have my hands tied in this manner, I will at least give my people the leadership they expect from me."

* * *

To be continued... 


	11. Leadership

The door opened to the inner sanctum. Hades felt his anger burn within him. He was working on the Oblivion Stone. He did not like to be disturbed while doing so. He didn't even want anyone to come in during it. But now, the inky blackness of his inner chamber was broken as the door opened. Some gray sunlight came through, framing the shadow of a new entry. The cold silence of the Dark Tower lasted for a few moments.

"…I told you to not disturb me when working with this stone." Hades spoke darkly, not turning back to the door.

"Our enemy is moving, my master."

Hades paused at that. He raised his head a little, putting his stone to one side for a moment. "…Preparing to move?"

"No, master. Moving. Their king issued an edict this morning shortly after the arrival of a giant mounted warrior. They prepared for only eight hours, then they marched. Gilgamesh has brought his full immediate strength to bear, and now he marches for us."

Hades snorted in reply to that. "The fool thinks that he can best us with such a small amount of power. Arrogant enough to believe he can defeat us without gathering any outside help." There was a pause afterward, however. "…But then again, we too will not be at our own full strength for another six days. Perhaps he simply has no other choice…" Another brief pause happened at that, thinking for a moment. He thought of the approaching army, and then down to the Oblivion Stone. He looked at it a moment, then thought aloud again. "…This turn of events has the potential to frustrate my plans…or escalate them." He stopped for a moment again, then turned.

"Who is this new warrior that joins Gilgamesh?"

"We do not know his name. But he is a tall warrior with a great horned helmet. He rides a six-legged horse, and carries two swords. One is a curved schmitar like a monster's fang. The other is a great sword that gleams like a flame of the sun."

Hades paused for a moment at this.

"…Send out the dark dragons at once. Not one of their army is ever to reach this tower. Do not let them return until all are dead."

"Yes, my master."

The figure departed, shutting the chamber behind Hades. Darkness again enveloped the room, and from the middle of it, one patch of darkness seemed far deeper and colder than the rest. That was the Oblivion Stone within Hades' hands. He gazed at it now, and pondered again this turn of events.

"So, father…the day has come at last. Let's see how close you can get to me."

* * *

The change in Gilgamesh had been unexpected at the least. 

Shortly after the arrival of this strange warrior, Gilgamesh came out to the front steps of the hall. Masamune was at one side, while the new warrior stood at the other. His people immediately gathered to him, expecting some new news or edict. On gathering, their king informed them that the warrior to his side was Lord Odin, who he said was a king from another land. That said, he then announced that the entire host of the kingdom would be marching on the Dark Tower to put an end to the dark being's devilry there. He gave them all only eight hours to prepare, and then they would depart.

The peoplehad beensurprised at this sudden turn. It was not like Gilgamesh to give these sudden edicts. They had no time to provide for the defense of their own realm. They hadn't the time to lay up provisions if a siege was ready. They barely had time to summon the guards from the outposts in to join them. It all seemed rushed to them. But they would follow their king. And so, the armories were emptied. Immediate provisions were taken. The people were armed and arranged into companies. After all this was done, they arranged themselves and awaited their king. He soon came, and marching before them all he led them out of the city and toward the west. It was strange, however. There were only three hundred horses available to the army of Gilgamesh. He saved them all for those with spears, and so he marched on his feet on the battlefield. However, the one named Odin had his own horse and road beside him. Because of his size, armor, and powerful presence…it almost looked as if he was the greater warrior of the two. He put the king in a much dimmer light. That made some of the troops uneasy.

Nevertheless, they marched onward. There wasn't a lot of daylight left in that first day, but they managed to cover much ground none the less. They crossed over the boundaries of Gilgamesh's realm, and proceeded through the great arid region that surrounded his kingdom. The air was dry and dusty much of the day, but as they went on the ground began to grow more moist. The air became cooler, and plants began to grow more. But in addition to these welcome signs, unwelcome signs were ahead as well. The great cloud over the Dark Tower was looming closer as they went on, casting forth an unnatural darkness at all times. The men began to grow uneasy. They clutched their weapons tighter and looked around more nervously, constantly on the lookout for more enemies. However, they encountered none. Only the darkness loomed as they went on forward, making them more uneasy but not presenting any new challenges.

Trees began to appear as they went on, moving on to more healthy ground. As night fell, a few began to sprout up around them. It was there that Gilgamesh ordered a halt and a camp for the night. Many of his troops were tired and injured from earlier, as they had been called off from patrols and guarding, and there had been no time to let them rest or grant them reprieve. The group readily pitched their tents and set up for the evening.

The king's own tent was pitched in the center of the camp. It was larger than the others, more of a pavilion than anyone else's. The ground there was covered with animal hides rather than cloth, and banners were hung around inside the dwelling to provide more of a room-like atmosphere as well as provide more protection from the night's chill. A table had also been brought by the soldiers, and they put it inside and covered it with maps to allow their king to plot and plan. As the camp settled down, the king did enter there, along with all of his high commanders in his army, and the enigmatic Odin. This giant warrior leaned against a wall post, but kept an eye to everything else. Gilgamesh himself leaned over the maps with his entourage surrounding him, also looking down on the maps.

Gilgamesh pointed to one smaller map, representing where they were at the moment. "Keep the horses and swordsmen to the center of the camp. Spears will surround the exterior in case the enemy moves. It is still two day's journey to the Dark Tower. On our arrival, we will not assault the tower directly, but draw out their forces. Once we have dispatched them away from the safety of their fortification, we shall storm the castle and bring out the head of this dark ruler on a stake."

"What of the dragons, my lord?" One of the commanders asked. "They can attack from a distance, and without Dragoons we have no method of countering them."

A spat came from the side of the tent. At that, the commanders turned and looked to the source of the noise. Gilgamesh did as well. They all soon saw Odin against the tent post, a scowl on his face.

"You are men of the great kingdom ofGaia. You serve the immortal ruler. And yet you make excuses for others to fight for you?

The commander was indignant at this. But he kept his anger in check and spoke plainly. "If you accuse us of cowardice, then you are mistaking fear with discretion. We have no means of countering the dark dragons. None of us have ever even fought such beasts. It may be impossible for us to kill even one if they stay at a distance."

"They are mortal, such as you." Odin simply replied. "And why do you doubt yourself? You have the greatest of kings on your side. None of them will stand against you."

The commanders didn't answer this. True, they did have a mighty king. Gilgamesh, however, bowed his head slightly and said nothing. There was silence between the members of the groups for a few moments. No one said a word, but Odin continued to stare darkly at the other commanders. At last, Gilgamesh held up a hand and gestured to his commanders. "Leave us. We march at dawn."

The commanders turned away from Odin at this. They turned to their king instead. With some hesitation, they gave a nod to him, and then turned and marched out of the tent. Within a few moments, the flap had closed again. Gilgamesh and Odin were alone within the king's pavilion. There was silence for a few moments.

At last, Gilgamesh sighed. "I wish you hadn't told them that."

Odin turned to him in response. "Why not? It is the truth."

Gilgamesh groaned. "I am only a single person. I cannot hope to fight off all the legions of this creature on my own. Don't you think I would have done this if I could have? Now there is no telling how many of my people will die struggling to fight against these dark dragons. And I cannot save them all."

Odin frowned in response. He turned and looked to Gilgamesh. "What has happened to you? Why do you allow yourself to be weighed down so much by concerns and fears?"

"Because, as a king, I am responsible for the well being of everyone here." Gilgamesh simply answered. "And in time, I realized even the strongest man is nothing compared to the crushing forces of this world."

"What are you trying to say? That you cannot beat this enemy?"

"I am saying that alone I cannot."

Odin frowned at this. "You are not acting prudently. You can't allow yourself to be ruled by your fear. If you alone do not have confidence in greatest adversity, how can you expect your people to?"

Gilgamesh frowned a bit himself at that, and wouldn't look up. "They are here because of you, father. Just as I am here because of you. I would never have risked such a disastrous run."

"Risks are a part of life. A part of war." Odin responded. "But what will give you hope in the midst of a risk will be your own self-confidence. If you do not believe in yourself, then how will you ever expect to have a victory?"

Gilgamesh glared at the map and bent over it. He paused for a moment in reply.

"…Why should I have faith in myself when no one else does?"

Odin was stunned at this response. "…What?"

"None have ever had faith in my ability to be a great warrior, father." Gilgamesh responded at last. "Only myself. My people have this so-called faith in me because they do not even know who I am. But I know myself so much better. I have experienced loss and pain to no end my whole life. Always I have been falling short. I always fell short of your expectations. I was never the great warrior you wanted me to be. I became a king of men, but it is only a pale shadow of what you wished for me to be…king of all espers. Never have you ever given me even a look of pride or accomplishment. My entire early days were nothing but one failure after another, with always your scorn looking down on me. And these people of mine are so easily pleased that no pseudo accomplishment of mine that stirs them to pride can be enough. I care nothing for the praise of men. I wanted your praise. And now, in my greatest hour, I am forced to rely on your council and strength again. I still have not pleased you. The shadow of your face looking down on me the day of the tournament continues to burn in my soul. I have not been able to escape it my entire life…"

Odin froze at that. His own face felt downcast. His own heart ached. Gilgamesh kept his head bowed and was silent for a moment. He inhaled sharply, but at last spoke up.

"…You wish that I had never been born…that a greater heir than I had arisen in my place."

Odin felt his body feel cold all over. His own face bowed somewhat, although his pride wouldn't let him look totally upset or downcast. But inside, his past sins stirred again. There was, unfortunately, a time when Odin had felt that. But that was not now…not after he realized what a truly faithful boy he had. He once hated Gilgamesh for his weakness and soft nature. But he had changed since then, after removing his evil from himself. He saw that he had a more loving and faithful son than many others could hope for now. He would trade a thousand Hades for a single Gilgamesh and never regret his decision. And yet…he was too prideful of a warrior. Too unable to share his own feelings. He could not express this to his son. He could not expel the shadow that hung over Gilgamesh's life. He desperately wanted to say something to Gilgamesh at that point, to do anything to let him know he was proud of him and what he had done…that he did not come to help him in his hour of need so much as to ensure the destruction of his bastard offspring. But he could not admit that. More than anything, he could not say that. He did not dare tell Gilgamesh that he sired Hades as his replacement. He would not plant the thought. If Gilgamesh thought that he preferred that wicked spawn to him as an heir, the result would destroy him. Especially now. Odin's presence was causing Gilgamesh to lose strength and fortitude. He was regressing back into his old days when Odin still hated him. Odin was realizing this, but he didn't know what to do about it. He could do nothing but make it worse if he tried. And so, he could only stand there, and await the time when Hades would be destroyed. He could only hope Gilgamesh could recover while there was still time.

However, this brief respite did not last long. As Odin and Gilgamesh stood there silently, a loud gong suddenly began to ring. Both immediately raised their heads and turned to the source, and saw that it was coming from outside. As they did, they soon began to hear great rushing sounds outside. What more, they heard running around, and above all of it a voice yelled. "Dark dragons! The chromatics have come!"

Gilgamesh and Odin immediately snapped out of their private thoughts. Quickly, their raised their heads and looked up in surprise. But they didn't waste any time. Immediately, they drew their swords, and then went rushing out of the tent and out onto the camp.

* * *

The moment the two of them broke out, Gilgamesh and Odin paused to quickly assess the situation. They didn't have to wait long. Coming out of the darkness overhead, a great host of giant wyrms descended on the camp. There were dozens of them, all fierce and swooping down from the sky. They fell on the camp in a flood and attacked at once. Sweeping over like great devil bats, they opened their mouths and began to bathe the area in fire, ice, acid, and whatever other unmentionable substance poured from their mouths. They brought down their tails and smashed tents into nothingness with one swing. They flashed their claws and cut men to ribbons as they went by. Their bodies reveled in their glory. They sounded out voices of doom, blasting in triumph and murder all over the camp. They milked their dragonawe and dragonfear for all it was worth. Soon, people did not even think of fighting. They screamed and ran. Brave warriors cringed into a heap on the ground, refusing to do anything but lay there until the enemy came to slaughter them. The whole camp was soon stricken with panic as the dragons descended, and the whole army was thrown into panic. 

"Fight!" Odin cried out in response. Immediately, he put his blade away and put his hands together.

"Do not give in to fear!" Gilgamesh cried back, rushing out with his naked blade. "Fight back!"

The men did not fight back, however. A few of them managed to rise again, but fear and awe of the dragons were too much. They could not overcome it. They were still mostly helpless as the beasts descended. There were too many of them. A great red dragon swooped around and looked down over the field, relishing in the fear they caused. However, it saw how Odin stood unafraid. Not willing to soil their perfect victory, it swooped around to remove the sole source of bravery on the field. It brought its body around, turned to face Odin, and then swept down to attack. It flashed its talons before him, and opened its mouth to breathe red flame, struggling to the last to paralyze its victim with fear.

But Odin would not so easily be broken. In the centuries since Griever he had perfected his Gunge Lance. Now, as the dragon swept down, he drew his hands apart and generated a great glowing spear in his hands. He quickly seized it, pulled it over his shouloder, and then threw it forward straight at the incoming dragon. The lance blazed like a bolt of lightning, and thundered and shook as it sailed straight for the dragon. The great wyrm only had a chance to look surprised for a moment before the lance embedded itself right in its heart. Immediately, the weapon exploded. A brilliant flash of yellow and white shot across the field, and a terrific blast exploded throughout the entire field.The red dragon was blasted into nothingness. But the power of the glorious blast likewise blew all of the surrounding dragons away.The enemy soon had to struggle just to stay aloft in the air. The warriors below also cringed, shocked at the sudden attack.

Once the explosion died, both sides froze for a moment. They looked out to see what had happened, and soon saw that Odin had totally obliterated one of the dragons. Bright light had showered the field for a moment, and the dark dragons had been forced to recoil from the blinding light and power. The force nearly swept them from the sky. Now, they looked to Odin…and felt a bit of new fear within them. This was a weapon not expected. This was a foe of power they had not anticipated, and for a moment they doubted themselves. However, this fear strengthened the human warriors. They now saw fear in the eyes of their "almighty" opponents. They now saw that this new arrival brought a new power to their forces, one that made them far more equal to their enemy. Now, victory and hope had been given to them. They realized they had their own power. The dragonfear was broken. Now, warriors began to rise again. They took up their own spears and prepared for battle. Within moments, the fight had broke out again, now with both sides fighting.

The humans got the first strike. They hurled their own spears as hard as they could at the new enemy. Most of them, however, bounced harmlessly off their scales, or shattered on impact. But a few struck them in their wings, and had enough power to go through the leather. Their "sails" ripped, the dragons spasmed and went to the ground. Immediately, the soldiers fell on them with swords and spears. The dragons, however, were more fierce on the ground than in the air. With their great tails, they swept aside a score of men with each lash. Their breath and talons sent more to their doom. But nevertheless, some managed to drive spears forward, and others with swords came in and slashed hits on their bodies. One warrior at last came in and sliced one's throat, sending the great wyrm down at last. Another skilled spear man hurled a spear right into the eye of a black dragon, sending the creature crashing to the ground in maddened pain. He was an easy target to be finished by his foes.

Odin sprung to new life. Another Gunge Lance was thrown, this time piercing two dragons before exploding. The fire and light that arose blew the dragons aside, sending some crashing to the ground with broken limbs and injuries. More bright light drove fear into the dragons' hearts while bolstering the courage of the men. Despite the weakness of the humans, there were far more of them than dragons, and the fight was more even. The dragons were soon forced to change strategies. Now, they tried to kill the horses of the men as well as the troops, to make their strength worse than before. Also, some ten of them gathered together to attack Odin. But it was no good. The great warrior called Slepnir to him, mounted the steed, and then shot forward even as the dragons dived for him. Flashing his Zantetsuken, Odin cut through each one that attempted to attack him. He alone soon began to double the number of dragon deaths.

King Gilgamesh rushed out onto the field as well. Taking up a spear, he targeted a red dragon himself and threw the weapon straight for the wing socket of the beast. It landed, and the power made it sink deep. The creature was crippled, and soon came crashing to the ground. It landed in a great heap and shook the earth as it landed. However, it soon snarled and began to rise again. Gilgamesh didn't give it a chance. He quickly rushed at it with Masamune flashing. The dragon, however, was up already, and struck back with a flashing claw. Gilgamesh countered and managed to slice the limb from the thing's body, driving it into pain. But before he could stab and finish it, the beast swirled around and smashed Gilgamesh with its great tail. The king was sent flying across the battlefield and into a nearby tent, smashing into it so hard that the entire structure fell.

Gilgamesh did not stay down long. Giving a yell,the kingsprung back up from his fallen position. He leapt forward with a single lunge toward the dragon, and before the red could respond Gilgamesh buried the Masamune into its heart. It gave one giant yell, but then groaned and fell to the ground for good this time. Gilgamesh, panting and hurt, pulled the blade out, and then noticed something bad. Seeing that he was the mighty king, the dragons were swarming, looking to strike him down next. Already, six were circling overhead, and they were beginning to descend. They would soon attack at once. Gilgamesh panicked. He couldn't possibly fight all of them together.

Before he had time to plan a strategy, however, the enemy attacked. A blue dragon landed right in front of the king. Gilgamesh immediately reacted. He swung his blade forward…through not at the enemy. The sheer power of the blade coupled with Gilgamesh's swing sent a shock wave blade beam out from the weapon, and toward the blue dragon. The beast snarled and crossed itself with its arms, but it didn't matter. The impact slashed deep wounds into its flesh, and the rest of the power sent it flying off of its feet and cast it aside like chaff in a storm. But before Gilgamesh could do more, a green exploited his distraction. It swept down behind Gilgamesh, and with a swing of its claws sliced across the esper's back and sent him falling to the ground. The king sprawled against it, and dropped his blade, letting it clatter and slide from him. He cried out in pain. Quickly, the other dragons descended on him, moving in for the kill. Gilgamesh grit his teeth and looked up, only to see the hissing monsters surround him…

However, no blows fell. A sound of hooves rushed by. The green dragon turned to look to the source, and was just in time to have its head sliced free from its body and sent flying through the air. Like a flash of lightning, Odin on Slepnir rushed inward and struck down the dragons one after another. His sword danced like flame, striking down the dragons in the flash of a few moments, sending their body parts flying. In a few moments, nothing but enemy carrion surrounded Gilgamesh, and all dragons were destroyed.

Odin halted for a moment, turning to his son. "Are you alright?" He called out to him.

Gilgamesh stiffened, but slowly rose. He looked up and looked around himself, seeing all the dragons dead around him. They had been killed in an instant. He turned and looked to Odin at that, seeing his savior. A ripple of emotion went over him…as he realized he had again been forced to be saved by his father. He had been helpless, but Odin had saved him. He swallowed a little, but then nodded.

"…Fine." He responded.

The two were silent for a moment. They stared at each other, showing that more things were running through their minds than either let on. But after a few moments, Gilgamesh lowered his head, looking for the Masamune. He forced himself to get back into battle. "…Don't halt. You need to keep fighting. We haven't driven the enemy off yet."

Odin paused for a moment, but then grimly nodded. "Indeed." He then turned and spurred Slepnir on, rushing back into battle. Gilgamesh, on his part, paused for a moment. But then…somewhat reluctantly…he took Masamune back up and went to fight once again.

The tide soon began to turn. Some dragons managed to rise again after they had fallen. But now they were injured, and unable to fight so well. Some of the horses were driven into such a panic that they escaped. But others were mounted, and soon provided extra power to the riders as they threw their spears into their foes. The more skilled warriors continued to throw weapons at the dragons' heads, shattering many spears but driving others into their eyes or even mouths. Gilgamesh continued to fight alone, striking down dragons all by himself. But Odin was the greatest. Again and again, he struck down dragons with single blows. He threw more Gunge Lances, and each new blast injured more dragons and drove more fear into the beast's hearts. Soon they began to fear Odin, refusing to fight him. But Odin brought the battle to them anyway. He ran across the entire field, fighting all the way, and causing the dragons to flee at every turn. More and more of the great wyrms began to fall. At last, they could go no longer. When only nine of the beasts were left, they were forced to give up, despite the warning of Hades. They turned and fled the battlefield, leaving the humans alone.

A brief pause went over the men. The ground was littered with carrion of men and dragon. Foul smells filled the air. Ice and fire alike covered the field, and much of it was still burning. Acid rotted the ground. Much was still in chaos. Spears were broken into shards. People were bloody and bruised. But despite all of this, despite all of the fear and doubt, and now the dread of what the battle had cost them, Odin rode out again. He rode before all of the men, standing there in stunned silence, waving his great sword overhead. With a triumphant cry, he bellowed shouts of victory. And his power and ferocity in battle could not be denied. His sounds of triumph and celebrating the impossible that had been done filled the others with hope. Soon, the cries were answered. Others hoisted their bloody weapons and began to yell as well. The pain of loss vanished under the knowledge of victory.

They had done it. An army of men had contended against a force of dragons and had beaten them. They had done what no human army had ever done. Now, they were filled with a new feeling of power and superiority. Now, they truly felt unstoppable…truly felt like men of the planet's greatest kingdom.

But soon, that praise changed. The men soon flocked around their greatest warrior. They all fell in around Odin and began to praise him and exhort him. They shook their weapons in the air at him and chanted his name, and the volume and praise grew ever louder. Odin looked at this all, as the men and soldiers continued to praise him. As they did…he felt something strange. He felt a new feeling of pride and glory. He had always been a warrior, but for years people had ignored or looked down on him. Only now did he receive the praise and exaltation that he had always been denied. Only now did someone thing he was great for his battle. He managed to keep his face clear, but inside, his spirit was filled with a new feeling of accomplishment and pride. He realized that he had been the one who had saved these people. He had led them to victory. And the spoils of victory and the rejoicing after it had been something he had never felt before. But now that he felt it, he liked it. Leading warriors to victory, it seemed, was even more satisfying that winning the victory all alone.

However, Odin soon forgot this. As the men gathered around him and cheered him on, he noticed that another, much quieter, more injured, and smaller onewas in the back. Standing behind all of his troops was their king…Gilgamesh. He stood there silent. He said nothing. He did nothing. He just stared ahead at this scene. But his men didn't even notice him. They noticed only Odin. What Gilgamesh had accomplished in this battle was superhuman, and yet his success was nothing compared to Odin's. Therefore, his people forgot him and thought only of the warrior esper. Seeing this, Odin felt his blood run cold. He pushed aside the feelings inside him, and immediately went off of his horse. He quickly dropped into a kneeling position, much to the sudden surprise of the warriors. But he sounded out loud and strong.

"Hail! The King of the West!"

Hearing this, the warriors quickly turned and looked to the source. They soon saw Gilgamesh, standing there silently. On seeing that, the other warriors quickly paled. They too kneeled at once before him. However…their movements were slower. They might have reacted somewhat slower than that if Odin had not told them to bow. But they all did so. And once they all had gone down, they too sounded out their own call, "Hail! The King of the West!" But unlike Odin's praise, the praise for Gilgamesh was more rehearsed…solemn…mandatory. It lacked the spirit and adoration. It was most certainly not the same praise that there was for Odin. And it was obvious to Gilgamesh. A quiet silence lasted over the field.

In the end, the King spoke.

"…There is much still to do. Tend to the wounded and injured. Quench the fires. Burn the carrion dragons and bury the dead. We must complete this task and still be ready to move at dawn."

Gilgamesh gave no other word. He turned and began to walk away after that. Odin rose to his feet, and stared after his son. The other men rose as well. They went to their tasks, but they did not until they had congratulated their champion again. Only then did they leave.

Odin was left standing and looking at his son again…not knowing what to do next.

* * *

"Sons of Bahamut?" Hades scowled. "…Bastard sons. Lesser sons. Dead branches from a great tree." 

Krang, bloody and dented from spears, kept his head bowed as he stood before the dark esper. He quivered with fear and anger, fear of his master, anger at his loss. "We were totally overrun. But it was not our fault! It was that new warrior. He's like a god among men. He wields fire and light and strikes us down like we were…"

"I did not send you out to give me excuses." Hades hissed, back to Krang. "I sent you to destroy our enemies. I told you not to come back until you destroyed them…or you were destroyed. You have failed in that regard. I have no patience for useless servants."

Krang scowled in anger because of that. "My people are not useless! We are descendants-"

"Of a world that shall pass away very soon…just like you."

With that, Hades wheeled around and immediately waved his hand at the dragon. In a flash, four small green faeries suddenly came out from beneath his blood red robes. They quickly shot forward and came to the red dragon. Krang gaped and looked around at this, as he saw the small creatures surround him and begin to fly. They glowed with a pale green light, and as they swirled around him they changed. They turned into bright orbs, and circled Krang in a predictable pattern. They formed a pattern of ring of light as they surrounded the dragon. The thing looked around a moment, then suddenly gasped. The dragon looked down to its hands, and saw the flesh wither on them. He looked to his body next, and saw the skin tighten on his bones. His cheeks sucked in. His scales withered. His wings grew brittle and frail. He looked up to Hades. A wave of anger flashed over him, and he tried to blast Hades with flame. But it was too late. His teeth bent in. His eyes sunk into his head. He gave a gasp, which withered into a puff of dry air. He turned into pale skin and bones. Finally, the faeries stopped, and all floated around him in place. The dried up dragon stood there a moment…but then collapsed to the ground. On landing, he immediately shattered into dust.

Hades looked to the faeries and beckoned to them. They shuddered in response, looking fearful of the dark person. They too were his slaves. But they returned to his side, and vanished into his blood-red robes once again. That done, Hades looked up past the dust pile that was Krang to another in the room. A goblin chief stood toward the back, trembling in fear and terror, his red eyes filled with horror and shaking like a leaf before Hades.

"He is fortunate I merely exacted vengeance on him, not his whole race." He sneered, then addressed the goblin. "Prepare your troops with the others. We will not send out another sortie. They wish to come here, and so they shall. Here we shall destroy them."

The goblin swallowed. "Begging your pardon, my lord…but we cannot triumph against-"

"If you must fear someone, maggot…fear _me_." Hades sneered in response. "I will give you worse than death." He paused a moment, then turned around. His eyes fell on the Oblivion Stone again, gazing into its deep blackness. "My anger would be far greater, had not things been going very well for my plan. Even this latest turn of events has done little but increase my chances of success."

The goblin perked up at this. He was puzzled at this response. But he did not dare question it. Hades finally turned to him and waved him off.

"Leave me. I have much to do to finish the Oblivion Stone in time. And I must make my own preparations for our guests…"

* * *

It was a short night for the army. 

Half of it had been spent getting the mess cleaned. It was hard to quell all of the fires. It was harder yet to burn all of the dragon carcasses and bury the dead. Many were injured from the fight. Over thirty died during the night before dawn. But that was only a fraction of the losses they had suffered. Despite victory, it had been a painful victory that had been won.

Gilgamesh sighed as he looked out from his tent at dawn. His face was full of worry and dread. His wounds still ached, and he was acutely aware of his disability. What more, he was aware of the situation as his sore troops gathered and assembled before him. Odin stood at his side as he looked over on the new day, his son gazing ever up to the growing darkness ahead.

"Four hundred lives have been lost." Gilgamesh darkly answered. "A third of the spears have been shattered. Half of the horses are dead or missing. Many are injured and struggling to march. Many could still die by the end of this march today. Our strength is failing."

"But our strength has also been renewed." Odin responded. "We have won a great victory. Our opponent can throw no better at us."

A pause went by after that. Gilgamesh said nothing. Odin turned and looked to him at this. "What are you thinking?"

"…We should withdraw." Gilgamesh answered. "Many are dead. Too many. We've given them a strong blow. We should withdraw now."

"And give your enemy a chance to regroup?" Odin shot back, almost in disbelief. "Let them recover, while they still stagger from our blow?"

"Too many have fallen. I won't risk more lives."

"You must!" Odin retorted. "This is your chance! You will not have another!"

"The men are hurt and disheartened. They are weak from the fight and the pain of all these deaths."

"Then men are strong and fierce, renewed with victory. They are teeming in pride and fervor after their win last night. Withdraw now, and you will not harness that great power. You must strike while they feel victory is certain."

Gilgamesh paused for a moment after that. Finally, he spoke with some irritation. "Perhaps I am not needed at all. You seem to already have a good grasp on the situation…"

Odin's face turned to surprise again. "…You are their king. You are their leader."

"Then why must you keep challenging me?" Gilgamesh answered, turning his head back to him. "You still don't trust me to make the right choice. You never did. You have to be the one that takes command of everything. You always have to make up for me."

Odin frowned and paused. "…If this is about last night-"

Gilgamesh sighed. He shook his head. "Forget it. Nevermind. Very well, we shall continue. I'll muster the troops." He paused a moment after that. "Seems I can still do something as King…"

With that, Gilgamesh walked forward without looking to his father, and went out to his troops. Odin himself looked after him, feeling a sting inside him from last night. He began to grow worried about how things would end up between him and his son…and hoped that this conflict would be done soon.

* * *

It took a bit longer than expected, but the army did manage to pack up and move out again. The going was somewhat slower now. People were injured and sore from the battle last night, and the previous pace simply couldn't be sustained. But they continued to move and marched for the Dark Tower. 

The day was expected to get lighter, but it peaked early. The dark clouds in the distance came closer and closer, blotting out the light of the sun as they went on. The air was growing drier and hotter, even though they were moving away from the arid region. The ground continued to fill with more plants. Trees continued to occur as they went forward, growing in number and thickness. The grass grew longer and the terrain grew more hilly and hard to move on. Still, it was pretty easy to walk, and so they continued to do so.

As they kept going, they saw more horrible things. The bones of their old soldiers that had been captured were hanging from trees and nailed to wood. Their heads were missing, but the rest of the bodies were there, looking devoured by crows and wild animals. Signs written in dark blood were hanging from them, yelling out warnings to anyone foolish enough to attack the area, and claiming lordship not only over this land but Gilgamesh's land as well. Some of the men grew fearful at this. Others wept, while others flew into a rage. But the King insisted that they stop at each little marker they arrived at. They destroyed the signs and buried the bones. Then they moved on afterward.

The vast army eventually fell into a forest. There was no way around it, and no easy path through it. They were forced to go through under the trees, walking in places they weren't sure were secure, and spreading out in between trees and dark places to be lost from the eyes of others. None wanted to go through it, but they had no choice. At the urging of their leaders, they marched through. The going was even slower here, for it took longer to get through, and they had to watch for roots and snakes and other things that could attack.Night fell quickly, now that the sky was always dark. And they couldn't clear the forest but a few miles before they were soon wandering in the blackness. By that time, many of the injured looked infected. Some were unable to walk, and two were dead. And so, the army marched to the next clearing, and then halted. Again, camp was pitched, and a guard was posted around the forest. This time, torches and fires were lit. There were no more dangers of dragons, and fire would help to drive away whatever else.

The men were growing uneasy. Their courage was slipping. Despite the victory last night, the burials and burning since then had reminded them of the cost of it. And tonight, they wondered which one of them would be next. They were uneasy and restless, not putting down their weapons and jumping around in anxiety. As Odin went out among them, riding on his great horse, he saw them all pale and tremble and cringe where they were. However, on seeing Odin, they were bolstered in courage. They rose up a bit more, and seemed to relax. They remembered that they had the giant warrior on their side. And with him among them, they were not scared. Seeing that, however, Odin only felt worse on the inside. He led his horse out of the camp and toward the forest outskirts.

Once there, Odin road a distance from the camp. He went far enough to where most of the lights of fires and torches vanished into shadows, and the noises of the night were more clear. However, there wasn't much noise at all this far out. It was silent and grave here, as if the land knew what was coming. There was no comfort here at all. But it did give him time from the rest of the people. He didn't want to hang around the troops now, not when his son was so angry. He could see the change in him now. He had never known his son to be so upset before. He had never seen him express so much rage. Were he his old self, he might not have cared. He would have perhaps dared Gilgamesh to show him wrong. But now, he was saddened to see him this way. And he didn't know what he could do to make him feel better. He could not leave. He had to destroy Hades, especially if Gilgamesh could not. The rest of Hades' forces were inconsequential, but the monster had to die. The sooner the better. And once he was gone, then he would leave and Gilgamesh could return to whatever devices he had planned…

Odin's train of thought was cut off, however, when he noticed something. To his left, he saw a glimmer of dim green light. It took him only a moment to react. In a flash, he reached to his side and drew out Zantetsuken. Then he flashed around and brought the sword behind him, ready to deliver a fatal stroke to the enemy. But he never got the chance to deliver his fatal blow.

"Don't strike!" A small voice pleaded.

"We won't attack you!"

Odin held back for a moment, and glared forward. As he did, he recognized the light. It was four little green faeries, fluttering around in front of him, but not looking hostile or attacking. Odin had never seen them before. But by reputation, he knew them. And he knew what they had been doing as well. All espers did.

"The Sylph…" He spoke aloud with some annoyance. His look was cold and glaring. "Tell me, why should I not strike?"

"Please!" One of them begged.

"Please help us!" Another added.

"Why should I help you?" Odin coldly retorted. "I should finish you now. I don't need your mischief. I know very well that you've been running around tormenting every human you lay eyes on for centuries now. Untold people have been cursed by your powers. Why should I not end your tiny lives this instant?"

The Sylph swallowed, knowing that they were guilty as charged. They couldn't answer for a moment. But in the end they did, pleading pathetically with the older esper as they did.

"Hades has made us his slaves!"

"He tortures us!"

"He would have killed us!"

"He makes us kill everyone for him!"

"He sent us to kill you…"

"…But we knew we couldn't."

"Please, you have to help us!"

"He locks us in black cages…"

"He makes us breathe poison…"

"He hits us!"

Odin snorted in response. "Does he, now?" He calmly answered. He began to replace his sword. "And how many people have you tortured, little wretches?How many people begged for mercy from you, yet you worked your mischief on them anyway? And all you ever cared about was your own amusement and pleasure. Why should anyone care for you? Your own wickedness led you to this fate. You should be bound to that dark esper forever. It's what you deserve."

Three of the Sylph began to quiver in fear. They feared that Odin wasn't going to help them. However, that was their only fear. They feared to go back to Hades without Odin dead, for that esper was the only one who could defend them now. However…one of them thought a bit more. She considered Odin's words, and realized the truth in them. She began to realize that she had never given any thought to the feelings of others. She had never cared about them. But now that they were the ones who were hurting, she knew what it was like. One of the Sylph began to feel an alien burning sensation within her…

Remorse.

The other Sylph immediately threw themselves down at Odin's feet, bowing to him.

"Please! Have pity!"

"We'll be your slaves!"

"We'll do anything you want!"

"You didn't have to be anyone's slaves, little worms." Odin snorted in response, dipping the tip of his boot forward and kicking them away. "You could have been happy. You could have had anything, especially, though I don't know why, a mother who loved you. But you spat in her face. Reap what you sowed, little worms. I'll not so much as wave a hand in your direction to spare you."

The Sylph, all four of them now, were filled with fear and terror. They threw themselves forward and clinged to Odin desperately. They sobbed pathetically. They thrashed and moaned and begged more loudly than before. Odin began to sneer at them. They'd attract attention at this rate.

"Please!"

"We beg you!"

"Please!"

The fourth one finally cried out something new. "We swear we'll never curse another living thing again! We swear we'll go back with you to Terratopolis! Just please…have mercy!"

But the one Sylph hadn't spoken for the group. She had spoken only for herself. The other Sylph turned and looked to her in surprise for a moment. However, that lasted only a moment. Immediately they fell in. They too began to make that promise, thrashing about at Odin's feet. They continued to cry and moan, swearing that they'd never curse anything again and that they'd go back, just if they could be delivered from Hades. A gnat, small and inconsequential, even nothing in another's eyes, can nevertheless arouse a man's attention and cause him to swat it away. So too was with Odin. They were annoying him, and he began to realize they'd never stop until he agreed. Much as he hated them…he himself had made his own vow. And he would not cast Starlet's children away, much as they deserved it.

"Swear at once what you have promised, on pain of death. For I will give it to you if you lie."

The Sylph, seeing a ray of hope, immediately flew up into the air. They began to look hopeful again and eager. Quickly, they crossed themselves and swore. "We promise!"

Odin coldly glared back for a moment, but then grunted. "Very well. One more thing you must do. Tell me, what is the enemy planning?"

The Sylph paused a moment, but then raised their heads.

"He's summoning a big army."

"He's got thousands in it."

"But that's not all."

"He only wants to delay you for a little longer."

"If he does that, then he'll complete some other plan."

Odin's eyes widened at this. His blood ran cold.Anxiety went through him. What other plan? What did that mean? Wasn't conquering Gilgamesh the plan? But if stalling was the plan, then what could he be doing? Indeed…he could have attacked long ago. But he didn't. He was holding off until now, keeping his strength centered around his Tower….defending it. It did make some sense. Otherwise, Odin would have expected thousands of monsters attacking them.

"What plan?" Odin demanded.

"We don't know."

"He won't tell anyone."

"We only know it's going to be done soon."

"How soon?" Odin again ordered.

"Tomorrow." One simply replied.

Odin was filled with tension. Nervousness rippled through him. This turn of events was unfortunate. There was a new problem now. And there was no telling what would happen next. However, Odin was not willing to find out. If Hades was trying to stall them to complete some sort of evil design, then Odin did not intend to give him the time to do so. This plan would never see fulfillment. Hades and his wickedness would end before there was a chance. At last, he turned to the Sylph.

"Very well." He told them. "Conceal yourself in my cape until it is time to return to Terratopolis, or I can otherwise deal with you. But be warned. Dare to cross me even once in the events ahead, and I shall not only kill you…but I shall present you to Hades first so that he can make you pay for your double treachery. Are we clear?"

The Sylph swallowed, but nodded. They began to throw themselves on Odin again. "Thank you…thank you…"

"Save your empty gratitude." Odin snapped. "You'll have to work hard from now on before I feel you capable of such emotion. And remain silent. Thanks to your devilry, many of the men in the camp believe you to be monsters yourselves. If they find you they'll kill you. So keep your mouths shut and stay concealed. Now go."

Odin held up his cape, and immediately the Sylph went into it. They flew beneath and were soon covered by the flap. That done, Odin quickly remounted Slepnir and turned him around. He aimed back for the camp, and then spurred his horse on. Slepnir easily cleared the rubble and trees around the area, and soon he was back in the firelight of the camp. As the entrance was much louder and faster than the leaving, the guards looked up and stared at him in puzzlement. But Odin paid them no mind. He focused instead ahead, toward the center, where the tent of the king lay in wait for him. He went right past the troops and went straight for there, and on reaching it he immediately pulled his horse to a halt and dismounted.

By that time, many people were gathering around. Seeing the latest fervor in Odin aroused them. They gathered nearer to the tent and came closer. But Odin himself marched right into it, going right past the guards at the entrance of the tent. However, none tried to stop him now. He was soon within, and on entering he again caught the attention of the king and his commanders. They turned and looked to him as he stormed in. As he entered, he called out to Gilgamesh immediately.

"We must leave at once. We must march to reach the Dark Tower as soon as possible."

The commanders stared back at Odin with hesitation and surprise. Gilgamesh himself glared dully at him. A ripple of anger went through him. As he did, he spoke out coldly. "…Why?"

"The enemy is planning something." Odin responded. "He wants to delay us. That's why he's keeping his troops around his tower rather than attacking us bit by bit now."

"Are you certain?" Another commander asked, more civilly.

"How do you know this?" Another mentioned. "Perhaps they merely wait to use their full strength on us."

"They do wait to use their full strength against us, but only to delay us the few more hours that they need." Odin responded.

"And what is this plan that you speak of?" Gilgamesh darkly responded, his voice now having distinct anger to it. "What do they plan to do?"

Odin hesitated a moment at that. He didn't have a straight answer for that. "They do have a plan, but not that I know exactly of. I heard of it."

"From who?" Gilgamesh responded.

Odin hesitated again at that. He swallowed inwardly, but kept his cold demeanor. "I'm afraid I cannot say. You must trust my judgment."

There was a pause among the people in the room. The commanders looked around to each other, growing a bit nervous-looking and tense. They saw Odin, as he stood straight and tall, commanding and fierce. He had a great presence around himself, and appeared to be very strong and serious. Because of that, it commanded attention and respect. The people believed him, despite his lack of evidence. But Gilgamesh, however, did not change. He continued to look cold. In the end, he finally spoke.

"…No."

The commanders turned and looked to him in a bit of surprise at that. Odin himself was a bit taken aback. He looked to Gilgamesh and seemed stunned.

"No?"

"No." Gilgamesh simply answered, his voice underlined with coldness. "I do not know why you feel that we should attack, and I cannot trust you if you do not say. But I do know that many of us are tired and injured. We need all the sleep and relief that we can get. Otherwise, we will not be able to fight. The men have rested perhaps only two hours so far. We will stay until dawn, and then we shall march."

Odin inhaled. "Gilgamesh…"

"_King_ Gilgamesh." The man darkly answered, his voice rising in anger. "Or have you so soon forgotten that? I am King, and my command is the one that follows. Or would you like to challenge me? Have you come to give me aide now, or have you come to take my crown from me? For I am seriously starting to believe the latter!"

"That's absurd." Odin immediately retorted. "I want nothing with your kingdom."

"Then perhaps you should stop trying to subvert me at every turn." Gilgamesh answered angrily. "Perhaps you should not cultivate the favor of the men for yourself and issue your own decrees. Who is the master here? Me or you?"

Odin stiffened at this. He had no idea how bad it was getting. But anger had flushed Gilgamesh now. His muscles were tightening and his voice was harsh. He had never talked like this before. But now, it was beginning to rise. He was growing more opposed to him all the time. Odin now had another reason to get rid of this soon…to get away from his son before his anger grew uncontrollable. However, he did not need to speak. At once, the commanders did instead.

"Lord Odin wishes nothing but the success of you and your troops, my lord." One of them answered. "He only tried to help."

"He hasn't led us astray so far." Another responded. "And he's done so much for us. He struck down so many of the dragons this far. He's given us a chance at victory."

"Perhaps we should trust him, my lord." The first spoke up again. "If we strike sooner, the enemy will be weaker. As it is, all the time we delay makes him stronger. We could leave the injured here if we need with a few guards, and after we have gone and fought we can return here for rest."

There was a pause throughout the room for a short time. A few moments went by. The commanders looked to their king. They held a moment, and seemed to plead with him. Gilgamesh, irresolute and cold, continued to stand and pause. He glared about the chamber, like he was a prisoner surrounded by liars and deceivers. At last, he spoke up, sounding dark and upset.

"…So it seems as if I am not the master here after all. You would all prefer that Odin lead you into battle. Then perhaps I should allow him to lead the army. Perhaps I should stay here with the wounded, or perhaps I should simply stay in this forest and allow Odin to take you back to my city and rule in my stead."

The room was silent at that. The men looked down and ashamed. Odin himself seemed hurt again. He felt worse than ever. He stayed stiff, however, not knowing what to say in response to that. At last, Gilgamesh frowned and rose up a bit more.

"However, I am still the master here. And it appears I must remind you all of that. Therefore, it shall be I who destroys this foul creature. And if you do intend on going, then I shall not leave this lesser ruler who stands before me alone to take the honor. There is only one King of the West, and it is not this man."

With that, Gilgamesh stormed out. He passed right by all the commanders and Odin, making sure to shove partially into Odin on his way out. When he finally left, the rest of the room was silent. They stood still and silent for a few moments. After a few moments longer, however, the commanders sighed and began to turn around. They turned back to Odin, and seemed to look to him for the next part. However, Odin did not act that way. He held a bit more, looking out to the exit. He didn't like this now. It was only making it worse. He feared how this would react and end up.

This thing couldn't end soon enough.

* * *

To be continued...


	12. Sins of the Father

This is one of the longest chapters in my fanfiction so far.

Piccolo Sky's Quote-of-the-Day: "You spoony bard!"

* * *

Within another hour, the troops had assembled. It took some time, but they managed to separate themselves between the adequate and the hurt. Once they had gathered them, theytook uptheir weapons and went on the march. Again they went into the forest,leaving the injured with a few able-bodied guards behind.

The forest changed now. The bark turned dark. The leaves began to fall down. The air grew darker and drier yet. Daylight broke, but the sky did not light up. It only grew dim out, and then no lighter. The sun did not show its face all day, even when dawn finally came. The people continued to grow more tense as they went on. They trembled, looking around all the time for an attack or some foe to come forward. The ground turned into rock and ash. The trees soon began to die afterward. They twisted and knarled, becoming gray ruins that shot into the sky. But they began to pass as well as the people moved on.

The army began to weaken. Many were still tired and injured. Their dressings barely held on. A few more people were unable to keep going, and had to stop. But the far majoritykept going none the less. Fear came upon them, and manybegan to cough and choke. Something had to do with the air. And it was getting worse the further they were going. But still they were going on forward. And worse as it became and bad as it grew, they kept on going. They walked for miles and miles, with the ground growingmore ashy.Everyone was soon getting dirty somehow. Even the closed dressings were getting dirty. Many seemed drained and sick, their eyes burning and their lungs hurting. But still they pressed on.

Ahead, Odin and Gilgamesh led the troops. Neither was bothered by the waste around them. But Gilgamesh would not look at his father. Odin looked to him now and then, but didn't betray emotion. He couldn't do it now as they entered into battle. But still, he could pick up the anger and animosity coming off of his son. And it seemed there was nothing he could do to repair it until he at least left. In many ways, he still thought he was a failure to him. And so he could not have the courage to react.

At last, the group reached a dip in the path ahead. Here, a trail began to form that had walked through the forest and gone straight down into the area ahead. The group looked to this trail and followed it. The host moved a bit more, and dipped down into this newest valley. As they got closer, however, they began to see a change. Far in the distance, amid all of the fallen and twisted trees, a single spire was reaching out of the ground. It was crowned with spikes and thorns on top. It was also dark, blacker than any of the rest of the rotten ground. There was some sort of foul-colored flora surrounding it. It did it everywhere for a mile around. The army saw this, but continued to march forward. And as they did, they began to see that there was more than met the eye initially.

It wasn't a foul-colored flora that they saw.

It was troops. Thousands and thousands of troops, covering the area like a mass of vegetation. All of the foul creatures were there. And as they army got closer, they saw them clearer and clearer. Each moment they came closer, they discovered more of them. There were goblins…ogres…trolls…ochus... Small little monsters with glowing yellow eyes, green skin, and big knives… Great wyrms to replace the dragons… Wolves and wargs… As they got closer they saw more and more of them. And as theybecame more detailed…they saw their viciousness. The monsters were foaming and snapping. They thrashed and snarled. They were full of wickedness and violence. They seemed mad and monsterous looking, and ready to kill. They filled the men with more fear as they approached. Soon, everyone was trembling and nervous. But they kept going. They forced themselves on, because their leaders forced them on. However, it was soon obvious…there was a difference between the two groups. The men were scared, and had to be led onward. It was only the will of the leaders that was keeping them going.

At last, they came to a halt. Their own host was gathered before them, but unfortunately they looked far smaller than the forces before them. They also looked less fierce and strong. The enemy before them seemed far stronger. They looked insidious and unstoppable, fuming with anger and rage. Their own army of men seemed far beneath them, notnearly enough tobe able to leave a dent in their forces. They began tobe taken over by terror, and tremble before the forces and Dark Tower.

But Gilgamesh rallied them. He immediately ordered out the horsemen and spears in front. He placed the rest of the spears behind them and had them brace for a charge. The swordsmen went in back. After that, he held them still for the moment. The people were silent. They rattled in their armors and stared forward anxiously. Odin and Gilgamesh together stood before the entire army, bold looking and glaring at the battlefield. Neither side moved for a few brief minutes.

Finally, a reaction did take place. There was a great platform over at the Dark Tower. It opened up at this point. When it did, the full attention of the new army looked ahead. They now stared overhead at the new opening. They saw the sky too, and saw the frame of darkness and clouds overhead, the ominous wasteland stretching everywhere. It showed that they were no longer in their domain, but in that of the enemy. They were in their terrain now. But from the dark opening, and new form came out.

At last, the humans had their look at the enemy. He was tall, about Odin's size. He was covered in blood-red cloth, with a great hood pulled over his face. A black collar fastened it around his neck. He has the face of a sharp-toothed skull. His eyes blazed with red light, and his teeth clenched and relaxed as he looked out over the men. Even seeing that thing led the humans to feel the wickedness coming off of it. It made them feel cold inside, and filled them with more fear than ever. Only Odin and Gilgamesh stood bravely.

"So it appears that we have guests in my realm." The dark being spoke. "Well, allow me to introduce myself to you. I am Hades, lord of this land. What brings so many to my tower this day?"

Gilgamesh frowned in response. He immediately called back to him. "There is only one lord of this land, and only one King of the West, and that is Gilgamesh. And your crimes against my realm have brought me to make you answer for it personally. You will pay for the destruction of my outposts. You will answer for the slaughtering of my messengers, and the desecration of their bodies. You will be punished with destruction for the invasion of my lands and the hostile attacks. You will disband your army at once, and you yourself will come down and answer to me for your crimes. Do so, and your army will be spared."

Hades merely gave a dark laugh in response, his voice chilling. It filled the troops with fear, and destroyed more of their resolve.

"Well, I see no King of the West before me. I see only the Lord Odin astride his mount leading an army of mere men into battle, and a lesser person at his side, standing in the dust. I hear no reports of any Gilgamesh striking down my dragons. I hear only of Lord Odin leading the people to victory. Perhaps you are mistaken about who is the true King of the West."

Gilgamesh tightened up at that. His pale face flushed red. However, Odin, on seeing this, spoke up in reply. "You still have not answered our ultimatum, beast. Stop avoiding the matter and answer him."

"Ah…so this is who I have heard of." Hades darkly answered, still calm with a voice lined with maliciousness. "This is the Odin. He has come after all. And tell me, why is it that you have come, Lord Odin? Have you come to take the crown of this king for yourself? For why else would you have found it necessary to come before me?"

Gilgamesh's fists tightened after hearing this. His teeth clenched. However, he spoke out again. "Odin is not the mouth of Gilgamesh, so do not address him as if he was. Direct your attention to me, and do as I command or I shall destroy every last one of you."

Hades turned back to Gilgamesh, but merely laughed again. His voice was wicked and cold again, sending more of the troops into fear. But as for Gilgamesh, it only drove him into more anger.

"Who is the mighty Gilgamesh that I should fear him?" Hades laughed. "Some lesser ruler who needs the help of others? An incompetent ruler that cannot govern his own people? Would you have so much as raised a hand against me were it not for your father?"

The men reacted to that. They stiffened up and turned to Gilgamesh and Odin. Their expressions turned to surprise, for they hadn't known that. Odin himselfclenched his teeth. Gilgamesh too flushed with anger. Now, the secret was out. The people knew there was another immortal warrior among them, and that he was actually the younger of the two. But Hades went on.

"Are you not really the incompetent son of Odin? Are you not the lesser offspring? For this is why he has come with you, is it not? To ensure success where you would be unable to. You are nothing more than a blemish on your race, and a disappointment to your father. I'll not bow to the lesser son, a man who must still have his own father save him in time of danger. You are a poor ruler…and a poor man."

That was the last straw. Gilgamesh's face flushed with rage. His anger had been fully aroused. All of his inadequacy and failures had been brought up now. And he could not endure them. He would not endure them. He would prove that he was the greater of the two. He'd prove that he was the successor, and that he was better than his father. He had endured him for too long. For years he had tried to please him, and now his father still saw him as a failure. He wouldn't let him take his kingdom from him. This was it.

Giving a yell, Gilgamesh drew his sword out, and struck it across the air before him. A great flashing arc shot across the sky and toward the enemy.When it struck the first line of the enemy, it immediately tore into them. The front line of the enemy instantly flew into pieces. Their bodies were slashed into fragments and thrown everywhere, just from the force of the blade in the air. Not only that, however. The shockwave still sent the next line flying. Their bodies were thrown into the air and cast aside. They weresent crashing into the rest of the troops, bowling more over in the process.

But that wasn't all. Gilgamesh continued to cry out, and now went running forward into the enemy. Odin turned to this and tried to call out, but Gilgamesh was yelling too loud, and he no longer cared about what his father said anyway. He continued to dash into the enemy, swinging Masamune in front of him again and again as he did so. Each strike sent another shock into the enemy, killing some and smashing others out of the way. The hoard yelled back, and charged at the warrior.But it was too much for them. His strikes sent them flying out of the way everywhere. So the enemy ran also to the army that was gathered. Seeing this, and seeing that the army was filling with fear and falling back, Odin realized he couldn't look after his son right now. He saw that Gilgamesh was mad, andgoing out of control. At this point, he realized that his son was being baited. Hades was playing off of his insecurities. He was setting a trap. He was going into a set-up, and he didn't know what would become of him. He didn't know whatthe monsterwould do. He needed to see him and stop him, but the people needed someone as well to lead them. He had to take care of it, or they'd be struck down before they had a chance to fight back.

"To arms! Do not back down!" Odin cried out. Quickly, he drew his sword out from his sheath and waved it overhead. He beckoned ahead of him and gestured forward. "Calvary! Charge!"

The soldiers held back a bit longer. But it wasn't for long. The bold voice of Odin bolstered their courage. His huge appearance gave them bravery. There was still a great and powerful leader before them. And so, they managed to come back. They held, turned back to the enemy, and faced them down. And as Odin turned around and swung his sword forward, the horsemen managed to charge forward andcounter the charging creatures.

The two forcesran to each other for a few brief moments. But after a few seconds, the twocollided. The men on horses soon proved themselves better. The taller units were stabbed with spears. The smaller units were trampled. The horsemen soon drove themselves deep into the enemy line. As for Odin, he flashed his great sword around like lightning again, slicing the enemy into pieces left and right. However, his strikes were not as great as Gilgamesh's had been. He did not destroy multiple enemies at once. The initial charge went well, but the rest of the enemy soon flooded over the horsemen, and even with the height and trample advantage they could only have a moderate success. Soon, the enemy began to stab and bring them down, attacking the horses first, pulling the riders down, and attacking. Others, like ogres, charged forward and smacked the soldiers off of their horses all together.

But the rest of the troops soon came in. The spearmen camea moment later, striking the enemy in the back just as they had finished surrounding the cavalry. After their strike, the swordsmen quickly poured in from the back. They were the weakest of the human units, but even then they were still successful and helped to bring the tide over to the humans. Soon, both sides were engaged in terrible combat, struggling to strike the other down with all their might. And as the fervor of battle took them, the humans found enough bravery to overcome their fear and fight on.

But Odin no longer cared about just the battle.

He cared about getting through this and finding his son.

* * *

Gilgamesh continued to bash through the enemy until he made his way to the Dark Tower itself. Ahead of him, the gate was barred and reinforced with iron. Two giant trolls stood before him, and struggled to come up and attack him. But their move was useless. With one swipe, he sliced the heads off of both of them. That done, he dashed up to the gate and sliced again. Despite the lairs of iron that had been put on the doors, the force of Gilgamesh's Masamune sliced the entire gate in half. In a huge crash, the fragments of the massive gate collapsed, breaking off of its hinges and falling to the ground. After that was done, Gilgamesh immediatelyran in.

The Dark Tower interior didn't really have much to it. It was pretty much just an inner meeting chamber without much other detail, other than a few trappings to make the room look sharp and dangerous, like a great razored thorn, covered with blackness and iron. There were enemies outside that could have followed him in, but most of them were now preoccupied with the rest of the attacking units, and ignored him. Instead, there were several wild men on the inside, brandishing weapons of bone rather than bronze. They came to attack the king, only to have him immediately dip forward and slice his blade through the air twice. The force immediately sent them crashing into the wall and flying into pieces. Soon, they were all dead, and Gilgamesh was free to proceed. He quickly looked around the room, and found some black obsidian stairs in the back. Within moment, he reached the black steps and ran up. He paid no mind to the dark feeling inside the tower, or how cold and dark it was. He cared not for the feeling of death and coldness inside it. He didn't sense the warning in his heart either. He cared only for killing Hades, and proving himself the better.

Soon he was up the stairs, and on to the second floor. Here, there was only a narrow corridor that led to the next set of black stairs, and a wall that had a huge set of arched double doors on it. Curved spikes lined it, made of iron and cruel-looking. The door seemed solid, heavy, and immobile. Only green torches illuminated the hall, burning with an unnatural, ethereal green light. However, Gilgamesh didn't care for it. He wanted only to move on. He went right to the doors, and swiped his blade twice at them. The doors were instantly broken into fragments, and collapsed in an even heavier crash of metal shards.

A blast of cold, deadly air immediately whipped over Gilgamesh. A feeling of death and evil came over him. Even in his angry situation, he could still feel thedark powercoming from the room. His hair prickled, and his skin began to crawl. He felt nervous and uneasy here. His blood seemed to run slower, and his stomach turned. Some of his anger abated as fear replaced it. However, he stared in none the less. The room was black and dark, impossible to see that well into. But beyond the front doors, there was a small light. A purple flame burned inside the chamber. It glowed its impure, unnatural light dimly, allowing some illumination. Above it, a great black cauldron was boiling and bubbling, sending out a foul, poisonous, multi-colored miasma. And above it, the foul creature itself stood.

Gilgamesh remembered his anger on seeing him. He brandished his blade before him and glared at the foul being. "So, it turns out that I, the 'lesser son', have been the first one to meet you. And now I shall destroy you."

Hades glared back at him through his hideous red eyes. Gilgamesh glared on at him without changing. Neither moved for a moment. But then, in the end, Hades grinned even more than before, twisting the bones in his face if that was possible.

"You shall never prove yourself to be anything more than a lesser son to me, Gilgamesh. My very existence testifies against you."

Gilgamesh hesitated at that, but did not move. Hades merely gave a dark laugh, and continued.

"You look unmiffed, but you should be. Exactly how much do you know about me?"

"I know that you are a foul creature of evil, mistakenly spawned from esper kind." Gilgamesh answered. "I also know you are a liar and wicked beast. Therefore, I have nothing to trust from you, and your words have no effect on me."

Hades darkly laughed at that, making Gilgamesh's heart turn cold and his stomach turn. "Wicked perhaps, but you are the only liar in this room, Gilgamesh. My words have already sank deep into the very marrow of your being, while I have said nothing but the truth. So your father told you about me being an esper. But he conveniently forgot to mention who my father was. I came from darkness and wickedness, the evil side of an esper's heart. I was born from the evil half of a great esper, and now I am that wickedness personified."

Gilgamesh snorted at that. "Dark indeed has the esper race become if one would come forth who would willingly spawn you from evil. I should like to know what manner of esper indeed would do this."

This only made Hades grin wider, and speak more wickedly. "Then you should know him indeed…" Hecooed in a sinister, malicious fashion...relishing thepain he would causewith this. He hesitated only a moment for effect...

"...Because we share the same father, half brother of mine."

Gilgamesh froze on hearing this. His heart seemed to stop. His blood ran cold. He gaped at the fiend before him. That couldn't be true. "…No…" He replied, head shaking. "That's not possible."

"Oh but it is, Gilgamesh." Hades darkly answered. "Our father was displeased with his sons. He decided to make a truly spectacular son that would not have the weaknesses that he had. And so he spawned me. I may not be exactly as he intended, but I nevertheless have achieved success far beyond that of his other boys. Besides…in the end, he thought I was worthy of a trial."

Gilgamesh couldn't believe it. His father had been the one. He had called the creature a liar before, but he knew it to be true. He could sense it in the mind of the thing. If it was lying, he would have known. But there was no lie in the voice or mind of the thing…only satisfaction. It enjoyed telling Gilgamesh this. It enjoyed letting him hear this horrible fact. But Gilgamesh stood in stunned silence. A great weight had been dropped on his heart. His brain stirred over this. His face was frozen in disbelief. His sword lowered somewhat. His father had been the one. He had been the one to make this evil spawn. And Gilgamesh knew why too. It had become clear, even if Hades didn't imply it.

"Who would have thought that there would ever be such a failure of a son…that a father would believe that his evilness would be a better substitute?" Hades spoke maliciously. "But he did."

Gilgamesh couldn't speak. He couldn't do anything. He looked to the ground and stared, unmoving. He couldn't believe it. It had been his father. His father made this thing…this monster…this murderer…because of him. Because he had hated him. Because he would have preferred to have a creature that was evil than him. He had actually thought he was so much of a lesser son, he wanted this monster instead. He had forsaken him so that he could have this thing, this thing that had murdered so many and done so much… The shock was too much to bear initially…too much to handle.

However, it didn't last long.

Instead, Gilgamesh's anger began to swell in response.

So…he was the lesser son, eh? Odin had preferred this monster to him? Then his father was a fool. He couldn't believe it. After all he had done…after all he had tried…he had made this monster. He made this thing to be his replacement. All Hades had done was bring death and destruction to everyone. All he was to anyone was a curse and a plague. And what had Gilgamesh done? Hadn't he always struggled to be the best son? Hadn't he always tried to be a good man? He had labored physically and mentally to make himself the best he could possibly be. He had always done everything his father had wanted. And still he thought he was the lesser son. Still, he desired this foul creature as his replacement.

How could he have ever been so stupid. How could he have ever been so foolish. He should have never tried to help his father. This spawn…this monster…this _was_ Odin. This was the evil inside him. This was what he had been catering too. He knew better now. There was nothing in his father but pride and selfishness…and now it had gone to madness.

At that moment...he hated his father. He hated him for doing this, for driving him through the torture of his early life…

...For never loving him.

Gilgamesh's teeth grit. His blood boiled. His passion raged. The Masamune was again brandished, and he glared at Hades. "I'll show myself better than you and my father, by doing what he could not and finishing you right now."

* * *

The battle continued to rage outside. Black and red blood was spilled everywhere. Great wyrms leapt up and crushed some men, while spears drove into the guts of ogres and trolls. A hoard of goblins tore a man off a horse, while swordsmen jumped onto horned beasts and drove their blades into the backs of the monster. Chaos waseverywhere. The two armies had mixed in now, and were fully engaged in battle with each other. Death and carnage was flying everywhere as the two struggled to destroy one another.

However, as the battle raged, some things were changing. Many of the enemy had stronger, larger foes among them. However, few of them had weapons. Even the weaker spearmen and horsemen were able to drive their weapons forward into larger ogres and trolls. There were no dragons there to help the enemy, and so the humans already had one good advantage. Smaller goblins were in great number, but many of them were trampled under the horses. Gilgamesh himself had killed some hundred enemies alone coming in, and now Odin was continuing to stack up enemy bodies as he charged in and flashed his terrible Zantetsuken. The enemy was vicious, but it wasn't experienced or organized. And though they outnumbered them, most were weaker than an individual warrior. And as a result, the enemy stayed even with the humans. That was…until Odin started throwing his Gunge Lances again. On striking the enemy and scattering them with blasts of light and power, more of the enemy was thrown into fear. Many hated light, and fled from it. With this latest chaos going on, the enemy was beginning to buckle and break. The tide was turning. Now, the humans were getting the advantage.

But Odin was not staying for the whole battle. Once the humans looked to have an upper hand, he spurred Slepnir on toward the Dark Tower. The massive steed trampled goblins and imps underfoot, and kicked away enemies on all sides. Odin flashed his blade again and again, striking down another enemy with each swipe. It was still hard going. He had to struggle and strain to force Slepnir forward. But he kept spurring his steed on, and he struck down more enemies as hecharged. It was a terrible struggle, and more and more foes threw themselves in his path along the way. But he didn't care. He had to get through.

Finally, he broke totally through the lines, and found himself at the Dark Tower. Bodies and the shattered doorway stood before him. Gilgamesh had already been there obviously. Quickly, Odin dismounted Slepnir and then entered the tower. He began to develop a new fear. Gilgamesh still didn't know the origin of Hades. He didn't know how he had come into being. Only Odin and Hades knew…but he feared that the monster would tell him soon enough. And he couldn't let that happen. He quickly charged to the back of the room, stepping by all of the dead bodies and carnage that surrounded the floor.

Odin soon reached the steps, and immediately began to ascend them. He didn't get very far up the steps, however, before he heard the furious voice of Gilgamesh. "I'll show myself better than you and my father, by doing what he could not and finishing you right now." Was sounding just above him. Odin heard this, and immediately feared the worst. Was he too late? Had Hades just told him the truth? He didn't know, but he didn't care to find out. He quickly bounded up the remaining stairs and arrived on the second floor. He paused only long enough to find the entrance to the next room. He saw the open doorway, and the pieces of debris that were once the door. He quickly charged forward, going through the dark opening and into the next room.

Odin turned the corner, and saw for a brief moment Gilgamesh framed against the purple light of an unnatural fire. And beyond that, Hades stood over his black cauldron. But as he did, the black cauldron spilled forward toward him.

"Gilgamesh!" Odin yelled.

But it was too late. His son didn't even have time to turn back to him. At that moment, the cauldron spilled. There didn't seem to be any liquid in it, however. It seemed instead that all of the liquid immediately became a thick, foul, multi-colored fog. It turned as thick as liquid, and moved like liquid on air. But it smelled foul and loathsome. Immediately, Odin sprung back as the huge frothing foul substance came forward. But it was too late for Gilgamesh. He was right before the cauldron. And now, the foul mist boiled forward and surged into a deluge of miasma. It blasted forward and washed over the area, swelling and growing and surging forward. Odin continued to pull back, and ducked out of the doorway and covered his mouth.

Moments later, the foul swirling miasma poured out of the opening. It spilled out into the hallway and filled the doorway. It fell down to the ground and spread everywhere, blasting everywhere, rotting everything. Odin felt his skin itch and burn. His eyes watered. The foul smoke went into his nostrils and mouth despite all he had done to cover it. It spilled around his feet, and ate away at the armor around his legs and blistered his skin. It rotted the stone, and it began to crumble around him. It raged and frothed like a boiling geyser. It was terrible and foul. But at long last, after rushing and boiling for a long while, it finally died down. The foul mist went away and vanished again into the air. But even after that, Odin felt sick to his stomach. His body still burned. Nevertheless, he endured the pain, and turned around, and faced the inner chamber once again.

The cauldron was spilled and emptied now. The foul substance was gone. And Hades still stood, still ferocious and wicked looking. But as for Gilgamesh…there was nothing there except the sword Masamune. Its power alone had withstood the attack. Other than that, there was no sign of him at all.

Gilgamesh was gone.

For a moment, Odin's strength failed. His muscles seemed to lose all support for the first time ever, for not even in the fight with Griever had he felt this wretched. He stood in stunned silence. He was able to support himself for a few moments, staring in vacant shock at the sword. His insides felt hollow, and his eyes turned dry. He struggled to walk…but there was no strength left in him. He collapsed down to his hands and knees. His headfell toward the ground. His eyes glared at the stone in wide-eyed shock, and tears began to fill his vision.

He had been too late.

His son was dead.

And he had never shown him he loved him. He couldn't save him when he needed it. He was destroyed…horribly killed by this monster before him…a monster he himself spawned so that he could have a better child. He had a great son…a son who had done everything to please him. And he had spurned him for this monster. He had made this thing because he never realized how good he had it. He had never realized all that he had done for him, and he had spat in his son's face. He never did anything for him… He never respected him… He never showed him any love… He always treated him as a failure. And now, he didn't have any time left. His son was gone.

Hades poured salt into the wound. "What's the matter, Odin?" It hissed wickedly. "Don't you know better? Don't you see that at last, I am the best heir? I have overcome all others, including your son. Am I not better than you could have ever thought possible? Isn't this what you wanted?"

Normally, Odin would have flown into rage about this. But not now…because at one point he _had_ wanted this. At one point he had hated Gilgamesh and loved Hades, and he was a foolish man for doing so. It was his lust for power, his drive to become king of the espers that had driven him to this…that caused him to lose the one son that would have loved him and proven himself better than an heir. He would have been a true son to him, and a son was far more than just an heir to his father. Odin hadn't realized that until now, what it meant to truly be a family. He had never thought of anything but himself. The monster was right…he had done wrong. It was his fault. His son was dead, because he had never loved him. In the end it was that which had killed him, not Hades' cauldron. And the truth devastated him.

"Tell me, am I not everything you ever wanted?" Hades spoke maliciously.

Odin shook and trembled a moment longer. He breathed in hard, and closed his eyes. He felt tears begin to come out of his eyes. He felt broken and weak, and felt the guilt weigh down on him. It was all his fault. He had done this. He was dead because of him. That was enough to paralyze him and keep him down.

Were he anyone else, he might have been finished. He might have simply lain there until he died, or Hades killed him.

However, he was a warrior. And he was able to control his feelings. What more, he knew that this was his fault. And because it was his fault, he would not give up. He had to be the one to end this. He had spawned this monster, and he was the one who had to destroy him. He could not take back the terrible thing that had happened. He could not take back his son. But he could reap what he had sown. He could execute this foul creature. He could destroy it once and for all, and rid the world of it. That was what he had to do now, and that was what he would do.

"You are nothing that I want." Odin spoke darkly at last. He submerged his sadness and tears. He drew himself up. He tightened his grasp, and then sprang back up and glared against the monster. He drew his sword out and focused his gaze on him. "Save for what I wishto destroy."

Without another word, Odin dashed forward and sliced at the monster. Hades quickly leapt back away, however, avoiding the swipe and leading Odin to hit only air. After that, he aimed his palms at the esper warrior and blasted out his foul miasma from his hands. Odin didn't waste a moment. He swept his cape around his mouth and quickly leapt to one side. Even then, his eyes burned and his mouth choked. He swiped his Zantetsuken at the monster again, but this time his aim was so off that Hades was able to shoot back across the ground, as if being pulled by an invisible cord, to the back of the room. He answered back by summoning balls of poison and flinging them at the esper. Odin quickly dodged to one side and the next, trying not to breathe the foul substance. As he did, he closed in on the monster, and swiped his blade again at him after a few moments once he was near enough. The monster arched back, but Odin managed to twist around and swing his leg at the monster instead. The kick smashed the monster in the middle, flinging it back and sending it flying away from its parent. The blow did some damage, but not much. Even as Hades flew back, he spread out his arms to stop himself. He spread his arms back in front of him as he halted in mid-air, and fired off his poison back at Odin. It was in a giant cloud this time, flooding the ground in front of him and sweeping forward.

Odin couldn't dodge it this time, so he swept his cape around him, shut his eyes, and struggled not to breathe. But it was impossible. The miasma penetrated his eye sockets, sank into his being, and burned him from the inside. It made his skin crawl like it was covered with fire ants. It turned his stomach and made him want to vomit. He grew dizzy, and felt about to fall. However, somehow, in all that, he managed to sense something coming. During the poison, Hades had taken up a spiked pole that was against the wall nearby. Brandishing it as a staff, he turned and was rushing Odin again. But Odin could fight even unbalanced and blind. Quickly, he stepped back, and crossed his sword in front of him to intercept a crushing blow from overhead as Hades charged him and brought the metal staff down. After doing so, Odin quickly swept the weapon aside, and tried to slice at the monster himself. But Hades was able to guard again, and Odin's vision did not enable him to be accurate. He struck again on the monster several times, but even though he was able to force him back, he could not land a blow.

Odin's eyes eventually did clear, however, and he finally managed to aim a well placed blow at Hades' neck. He swiped his sword at him, but the monster managed to duck, and then answered by driving his staff end forward hard into Odin's chest. The hit was powerful and hard, and it sent Odin off of his feet and flying backward to the ground. He landed on his back, but stayed only a fraction of a second before he brought his legs up and swung them down, flipping himself back up and throwing his body forward head first. Now, he smashed his great horned helmet into Hades with all the might that he could muster. The wraith-like esper gaped in horror for a moment before Odin's head smashed in to his, breaking two of his teeth and sending the monster flying backward. This time, he hit the covered opening to the Dark Tower portico. His body smashed both doors off of their hinges, then sent him flying outside, exposing the tower to the sounds of the grim battle outside, and flooding the area with gray light.

Shaking his head, clearing the poison, Odin grit his teeth and quickly rushed out after the monster. Soon, he too bashed through the broken doors and emerged out onto the platform outside. He brandished the Zantetsuken and looked for his foe. However, he saw nothing out there. Far below, the two armies were still engaged in mortal combat, but there was no sign of Hades. Odin hesitated a bit, but then quickly went out further. He looked around at the spiked railing, and up and down everywhere. He saw nothing for a brief moment. But then, turning his head around behind him toward the wall, he saw a flash of crimson red suddenly vanish over the rooftop. Seeing this, Odin sneered again and clenched his teeth and muscles. He quickly turned around and looked to the side of the tower. He crouched, and then leapt once, leaping him into the air and toward one of the spikes. He seized it on landing, twirled around, and then used the force to fling himself upward toward the roof. Moments later, he sailed over the spiked parapets, and landed on the top of the building. He quickly spread himself out and brandished his blade again.

The wind was dry here, hot and fierce. It whipped around the capes of both foes as they stood. Ahead of him, standing on a slightly raised area of the tower, was Hades. His back was to Odin right now, and his weapon was still out. It was standing up and tilted slightly to the side with its spikes out. But the monster himself did not look to Odin. The warrior esper sneered at him.

"It's time to die, monster." Odin scowled.

Hades didn't react. He continued to stand still and cold for a few moments. After a pause, however, he chortled darkly.

"This changes nothing, you know." Hades chuckled. "You can't destroy what I have begun. All of the pieces are already in play. Destroy this army. Destroy this tower. Destroy me. You still can't stop it. I didn't come to conquer. I came to lay the foundations for the true reign of Chaos. You can't stop this. Nothing can."

"I'll be the judge of that." Odin darkly answered. "Now, let us end this."

Hades snorted again. "You fool…I represent all that was truly powerful and remorseless in you. I am what made you strong. You yourself recognized this when you made me. And you think you can simply do away with me?"

"I thought wrong." Odin darkly answered. "I had a wrong concept of power. And now, I have come to correct my mistake."

"And I have come to prove myself the true king of espers…just as you always intended!"

With that, Hades spun around and blasted out his largest miasma blast yet. This time, it rivaled that of the black cauldron.In a wave it struck Odin with all its might. The ripple went so quickly and strong this time that Odin was unable to avoid it. In fact, he gave an expression of shock this time, taking in a breath and opening his eyes when it hit him. Immediately, hot needles pierced his eyes. Choking mist filled his lungs. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. His insides felt twisted into knots, and his body was paralyzed. He bent over in agony, and lost all feeling in his body. The miasma, however, was a surge now. It ripped him off of his feet and pushed him backward. And he, sick and helpless, was shoved back toward the roof edge by the wave of mist. He couldn't stop himself. He couldn't halt himself. Soon, he was pushed over to the side of roof, and pushed over the edge and nearly off.

However, somehow, he managed to have enough power to stop himself. Somehow, he commanded his paralyzed, burning muscles to shoot out an arm and seize one of the spikes. He grabbed it and held it as the miasma sailed by. But it only did worse. It filled his lungs with death. It drove his mind crazy. It made his heart race and his belly turn cold. He couldn't move. And the mist just kept on coming. Finally, he fought back. With all the strength he could muster, he yanked himself back over the edge and back onto the tower. Fortunately, the miasma disappated a moment later. But he was still weak. His entire body seemed ready to convulse and rot while on his bones. He was in a collapsed position, and was unable to move. He was dizzy and blinded, and his strength had left him. But somehow, he forced his body to move again. It felt like he was controlling himself outside of his body, but he was able to force his limbs to move. He slowly raised his blade and began to rise again.

But Hades was already on him. Odin felt a painful jolt suddenly go through his arm. He opened his eyes and managed to see well enough what happened. Hades had smacked the Zantetsuken out of his hand. Now, the schimitar shot through the air and landed way on the other side of the roof, far away from Odin. But Hades wasn't done. He swung his staff up and brought down the heavy end with one of the spikes onto Odin's shoulder. The black blade pierced his armor and drove itself into his flesh. Blood poured out from the wound, and Odin yelled in pain. The miasma soon festered the wound as well, making it even worse. It drove him into further pain, stiffening him and making him more paralyzed than before. Now he was in truly bad shape.

Moments later, he felt icy hard fingers enclose around his throat. After that, he was immediately yanked off of the ground. He was still being effected by the poison, but his vision was clear enough to see what was going on. He saw that Hades now stood before him, and was yanking him up off of the ground by the neck. The monster was tall, and soon he was able to throttle the warrior esper. Odin's vision continued to clear, even though the monster choked him. As he did, he saw his bloody mouth, his nasty teeth, his red eyes…and smelled his foul breath coming over him. He looked absolutely malicious and cruel.

"So…it appears that I still am the master here, and the master over you." Hades sneered. "I am the true heir after all, and I shall prove it by destroying you. I guess I will be able to see my future come into play after all."

Odin hesitated for a moment after that. His body was still burning. His mind was cloudy, and he felt sick all over. However, he still forced himself to move. He gathered his strength for a moment, but then fought the paralyzing gas. In a flash, he put his arm down to his side and grasped the hilt of his other blade…Ragnarok. Hades reacted and looked to that, but it was too late. In a flash, Odin drew out the blade. It flashed like a light from the sun, shining a glorious light everywhere, including the battlefield below. The fighters below froze and turned to the sight. Hades himself shrieked and looked away, unable to see the pure light coming from the blade toward him. That was his mistake, for Odin immediately drove the blade forward into the torso of the creature.

Hades gave out a shrill cry, sounding like a foul wraith from the abyss. The shriek pierced the ears of all around, driving them into pain as it did so. Odin himself was no exception. But while the other soldiers below heard this cry and collapsed in pain a moment, Odin managed to stand. Hades released him and collapsed to his legs. And as he did, Odin was dropped back onto his feet. The warrior esper released the blade, letting it stay imbedded in the creature. He himself stood upright, his body clearing and gaining more strength. He turned his head to his own sword next. He extended his hand and performed a summoning spell, and a moment later the blade sprang up from the ground and shot into Odin's hand. Once it landed there, he brought his sword up and prepared to deliver the killing blow.

"Guess again." Odin darkly answered.

However, Hades didn't give him the satisfaction. He writhed in pain only a moment longer. But then, he seemed to adjust to the stab. He held for a moment, but then smiled again, grinning wickedly and triumphantly.

"This isn't over…father…it's only just begun."

Odin merely snarled in response, and swung the Zantetsuken. A moment later, the head and hood of the foul esper flew from its shoulders. A flash of purple light and foul smoke immediately shot into the air, like a geyser erupting. The sky seemed to turn darker than before. The air grew foul smelling and deadly again. Quickly, Odin leapt back and covered his mouth and eyes. He had to keep going back, for the foul miasma spread itself on the ground as well. It continued to spread out and run to the sides of the tower, fountaining out without end from the body of Hades. This miasma was the deadliest yet. Had it not been on top of the tower, far above the people below, the poison might have killed them all. Odin realized that immediately, seeing how deadly and powerful the poison was that came out and poured over the area below. But as it was, it seemed to be contained within the top of the tower. Nevertheless, Odin couldn't stay. He quickly had to leap over the edge, seize a spike, and now held. He stayed there and waited as the foul smoke poured out and filled the area. More miasma poured out after that, but still it was contained on top of the building. At last, however, it died down again. This too faded and went into the sky. Finally, at long last, it was gone.

Once that happened, Odin quickly pulled himself back over the edge and back onto the roof. Once he was up, he quickly looked over the area. But all that was there now as a pile of red fabric, with the hood laying to one side and the Ragnarok piercing it. Odin moved over to this pile at once. When he reached it, it kicked it with his foot and felt around. But there was nothing there. The monster was gone. Apparently, its body had turned into miasma on dying. It had fountained out this black mist in one final move.

Odin thought about this for a moment. Was this what had happened? Was this what it had meant? Did it intend to give this miasma out as a final deathblow? Had it been anywhere else, Odin might not have escaped. And many of the army could have been killed. This could have been its trump card…but Odin had a dark feeling that it wasn't. Hades seemed too smart for that. He could have been planning something else. But what was it?

Odin didn't care at the moment. The important thing was that he was dead.

And now that the monster was at last destroyed…and his fury was spent…he collapsed to his knees, bowed his head forward, and wept over his true son.

* * *

The battle raged only for a bit longer. However, the attention of both sides had been drawn by the death of Hades. They both turned and looked to the roof, and saw the foul miasma pour out into the sky. They saw Hades fall to the ground and die. On seeing that, the enemy turned to fear. They were terrified now. They had only had bravery and organization under Hades. But now that their leader was gone, they turned to cowardice. No one was over them now. None were helping them. And so, they broke up.They trampled each other and ran around in fear and anguish. They ran into each other and shoved their weapons into each other.Disorganized as they were, the humans now took the upper hand. The enemy was struck with fear, and they were now emboldened by the death of Hades. They struck back and struck hard. Soon, the enemy was falling left and right. And as the deaths mounted up, the enemy grew more fearful than before.

Finally, they could take no more. The enemy broke for it. With their backs to the humans, many more fell. Few of them managed to get by and keep running. But the horsemen charged after them, striking again and again. They did not turn back until all were destroyed. The few that did survive were wounded or hiding in the ground in terror. The battlefield was then routed. The horsemen came back, brandishing their splintered spears. Victory was theirs. The enemy was destroyed.

The world began to change immediately. The gray clouds broke, and blue sky began to come through. The air turned cooler, and had moisture appear on it. The smell turned fresher. It seemed as if things were coming to life at long last after so long.It seemed as if the evil would finally come to an end, and that the world will change at long last for the better. This new feeling of hope began to travel through all the remaining people. And they felt it regardless of the losses that had come. In the end, they were victorious. This filled them with hope. It filled them with jubilation. Humans had struck back against the forces of darkness and had won. They now cheered and shook their weapons. They exulted with joy. They tramped around and gave cries of victory once again.

Unfortunately, that feeling of victory did not last.

The people learned that many had died. Despite the victory, a third of the army was dead. That was hundreds of people. However, that was not the worse.Odin left the tower and met with them. For a brief moment, the people went up to him and cheered for joy and triumph at the victory that he had helped bring about. They praised him at the top of their lungs. However…that didn't last either. Odin bore Masamune and a somber look, and gave the people the bad news. Their king, Gilgamesh, had died fighting the monster on top of the tower. Now, there was nothing left of him save his indestructible sword. Their leader was gone.

Soon, the joy and triumph of succeeding over their deadly foe faded. This turned into mourning and tears. The men gathered around and bowed their heads somberly for their dead leader, and many cried out in anguish. Gilgamesh had not only been a king to them, but a father to many of them. He had given them hope when they had none, and had sustained them for generations in times of all adversity. But now, their immortal leader was gone. Their claim to power was gone. Their victory came only at the price of a great loss. All uncovered their heads and threw themselves into dust, and wept long and hard.

However, Odin got them up. He would not let them cry long, but forced them to care for the other dead. As before, the enemy was burned in large pyres, while the warriors were buried in mass graves. There was no body of Gilgamesh to bury, however. And so, every soldier, no matter how injured, small, or strong, gathered stones together and piled them up in a monument. Once done, Odin placed as a marker the sword Ragnarok. Many called for Masamune to be placed, but Odin refused. He said that the sword was Gilgamesh's and his alone. He would take the blade away and place it where no other robber could ever find it. That done, the sun was beginning to set, and the air was turning dark. The people at last had to turn and return to the rest of their men.

It took a long walk. Many were still injured, and had tobe bandaged and dressed along the way. Many still died from poison, infection, and injuries on the way back. Others had to be amputated. And the weight of many losses were on their hearts. Yet Odin, astride his horse, told them all to be brave and strong. On returning to their home, there would be time to mourn for many a day over the king Gilgamesh. But for now, they must be happy, and let their enthusiasm deliver them from pain and hurt for now. Let it deliver them until they got back home, and remember that this victory was still a victory, despite the price that had been paid. The living had a right to enjoy it.

Once they returned to camp, they were in much healthier parts of the world. And now, there was no danger of attacking again. The injured were able to rest at last. And so, they were left to rest there. Many were tended too, and it was agreed that the injured would rest three days before they would pack up and return home once again. News of victory was given them, but news of loss was given as well. As they settled down, the people began to ponder over what the future meant now. What did this mean? It meant that for the first time in generations that a new king had to come forward. They had no leader now. They had none to lead the people on after this. There had to be a new one. But Gilgamesh never left any offspring. There was no help now. There would have to be a new leader elected among them.Several of the commanders were suggested in rumors, and those rumors began to grow louder again.

Yet in the end, however, noises of Odin began to circulate among the rumors. The possibility of making him, the father of their king, the next one occurred. Some began to try to find him at that…

But none did. All they heard was one guard reporting that he saw the great rider on his great horse vanish in a flash into the woods. He was just in time to see the cape fade. None of those men ever saw Odin or the Masamune again.

* * *

The land of Terratopolis was not ignorant to these events. On the contrary, light dragons were constantly dispatched to inform them about what was going on. They heard the events unfold bit by bit as they went by. The espers were a captive audience, unable to focus on anything else until they heard what was passing. Leviathan himself continued to speculate, wondering what was going on with this Hades and his forces, or what his objectives were. As he looked at it, he began to realize that Hades was himself an esper. The feeling signature was unmistakable. It was too familiar to the previous evil esper Crusader. He felt horrible evil coming from this one though, and he didn't know how to explain it. Bahamut himself thought of going out to attack this force and come to the end of it.

However, that was not needed. The events were resolved much sooner than expected. In no time at all, the fiend was destroyed. One of the late reports came in saying that Odin had triumphed over the foul creature. Based on the speed of the creature, the monster had been destroyed some twelve hours ago by the time the dragon gave the news. However, the dragon also brought bad news with it as it landed.

It had just told the entire assembly of espers the news of victory. Now, it stood in their midst, as they surrounded it with Bahamut in the lead. They all listened intently to what was going on. The sun was down, but lights were put out. The king of espers was desperate to hear the news. Starlet leaned in intently. Leviathan also looked in close. But of the two, Starlet looked far more emotionally concerned. The dragon himself bowed his head sorrowfully.

"…Gilgamesh… He is dead." He spoke at last.

The espers stared in fear and shock. Their faces fell. Many of them froze. Never had one of their kind died…not in centuries. But that wasn't all. Many knew him. Many had been tied to him. Bahamut closed his eyes and bowed his head. Leviathan's mouth hung open, and he stared at the dragon as if a piece of his heart had been torn out. Tears welled in his own eyes. But Starlet cupped her hands to her face, quivered, and bent down. She began to weep bitterly and aloud over her dead child. Many other espers bowed their heads and wept. No one said anything. They only cried and moaned, or paused in silence for their departed kin.

Bahamut couldn't believe it. He had no idea this would be how it ended. No espers had died in so long. He thought that he was on a world where no esper would ever die. But he was wrong. A good esper had died…a great young one who had been upstanding and kind. But now he was gone. Pity took the king of the espers. Gilgamesh had deserved better. He should not have died at the hand of such a wicked being. He had tried so hard to make things better. He always struggled toward self-improvement, and had tried to help people who needed it. He had tried to make the world a better place. But in the end, he had died. And Bahamut didn't know what to think now…or how to react to this world that had changed to become a dangerous place even to espers.

However, Bahamut didn't think of this long. Abruptly, one of the younger espers cried out and pointed to the sky. "Look! Odin comes!"

Immediately, the people turned their heads up. Even those weeping looked up and changed somewhat. As they did, they saw far above them Slepnir ride over the lip of the mountain. The great horse immediately dove to the ground, with its rider astride it. Within moments, it had descended the cave and landed on the bottom. The light dragon stepped back, and the esper was given a clear place to land. He immediately did so, landing in the center of all the espers, andpulling Slepnir to a halt.

Everyone stared at the new arrival. Bahamut himself stared at Odin, and saw that he had changed. His look was somber and dark. His face was downcast and grim. What more…he seemed to not be carrying the same swords that he had before. He was carrying a new one at his side. Nevertheless, he did not comment on it. He simply dismounted, and then stood next to his horse. He turned and looked to Bahamut. His head was slightly downcast, and his appearance was dark. But he didn't say anything immediately. He just turned to the others and looked straight at Bahamut. His eyes were the worst. As Bahamut looked at them…he saw something he never had before. He saw sadness and depressioncoming from the warrior esper. It didn't even seem like him.

Odin inhaled slowly and looked to the king.

"Let us go to the meeting area." He spoke at last. "I'll tell you everything."

* * *

The Dark Tower has been slated for destruction.

The men were too weak now, but they would return and would not leave one stone on another. They would finish what Gilgamesh and Odin had begun. But for now, it was gone. Not even crows came near it to feed on the carrion around. It was alone and solitary. Night had fallen now, but nothing touched it. The air of evil was still around it. The unnatural feeling was still on it. But it would be destroyed. Eventually, the men would return and ruin it at last.

However, none had set foot in it since Odin. And none viewed the remains of Hades.

They lay in a dark pile on the rooftop. They were still in a pile of blood-red rags, foul-smelling and reeking with death. But they did not shift since Odin had pushed them. For hours, they had just lain there unmoving, for they were no longer filled with the decaying body of an esper of death and evil. However…Odin had not felt everything there.

Deep inside the robes of the creature, there were still two things. One was the imperishable part of all espers…the magicite. This one did not gleam with power or flame like the first two had. This one was dark and empty, like a crystal that had somehow lost all shine. It seemed to suck light and life into it. It was void of warmth, seeming to draw that into it as well and become a cold, lifeless stone. However, that was nothing compared to the other. The Oblivion Stone had been concealed there. It was far blacker and darker. It was far colder, with a perceptible evil radiating from it. Even one not attuned could feel the numbing black power coming off of it. This was a deeply wicked thing, black and evil…seeming to be void of all life and light in and of itself.

And now, something changed. The magicite that had formed seemed to make its way to the stone. It was slow going, almost impossible to see. But an invisible force was drawing it closer and closer. It took hours for it to happen. But it did make its way there. And then, at long last, the two objects worked their way through the remains of the clothing. They touched each other at long last.

Immediately, a dark ringing began to come from the black stone. In response, something happened. The magicite seemed to melt. It softened its edges, spread out, and began to cover the stone at once. It moved fast now. In no time at all, the magicite melted over the crystal. Then, at once, it began to seep into it. Like water into ground, the now liquid-like magicite sank into the new black object. Within moments, it was gone and vanished.

But now, the product of Hades' labor changed. If possible, it grew even blacker than before. It seemed to drain light from the air now. It made the entire tower cold. It created a feeling of death for the entire surrounding area. The evil within it grew darker yet. It sank deeper into blackness. And then, at long last, a dark threshold was reached.

Deep inside the stone…a new being of pure evil was born.

* * *

Gilgamesh groaned where he was. His eyes fluttered, and they slowly opened. His nose and mouth were bleeding. Scowling, he reached up and wiped them off. His vision was blurry and he was in pain. But his senses came back to him somewhat. However, things had changed. His mind was darkened. His body seemed dulled. Things seemed to be colder and blander to him. Things did not have so much light to them either. Things didn't smell so good. His limbs seemed number. He felt things less, and his heart seemed to be stiffer and stonier.

Sneering, Gilgamesh spat and began to roll up. He looked around him a bit, and soon placed himself. He was far away now, still in the dark area around the Dark Tower but not near it. He looked around a bit, and soon he saw it rising on the horizon. But it was far away, well out of range of the battle area. And it was night now. He remembered somewhat what had happened. He remembered preparing to charge Hades. But then, before he could strike, the enemy has washed him over with his black miasma. Gilgamesh had felt horrible pain in response. He felt his entire body burning and rotting. He thought he would burn away into nothingness. But now, he was here. Obviously he didn't. Groaning, Gilgamesh feltstiff and cold all over.His bodythrobbed and numbed. However, he managed to roll up and get to his feet. He wasn't dizzy, but his head hurt as he got up and glared at the area. He continued to wretched, like a piece of ice. And he didn't like the feeling.

In fact, he didn't like much of anything now.

As he glared out at the battlefield, Gilgamesh felt himself get angry. Where was his army? Where were his troops? Had they bothered to look for him? No…of course not. The filthy ingrates didn't care about him anymore. They had _Odin_. They had his father. Before, Gilgamesh had just been getting annoyed about this. But not anymore. Now, he felt a deep seated hate. He felt it growing inside him…and yet already in there as well. It was like a black cloud covering his mind, or foul roots piercing into his mind and heart. They filled him with anger…consumed him.

They never cared for him. They cared for only who would give them power. That's all anyone cared about, whoever had power. It had been that way for Griever. It had been that way for Hades. And now, it was that way for Gilgamesh. Humans…stupid humans…slaves to their own wickedness… Treacherous…wicked…betraying… How had he ever loved them? He couldn't feel any love now. He couldn't remember any love for them…or for his father…or for anything.

In fact, he couldn't remember any love. He couldn't remember ever loving anything at all. He couldn't remember ever feeling good, or being happy, or feeling content. He forgot about Starlet…and Terratopolis…and Leviathan…and anything that was ever good and pure in his life. He forgot about the births of children…the smiles of familes…the sounds of music…and the feeling of life. It had been blotted out, choked out and clouded over by the miasma. There wasn't any good or warmth left in his heart. All of it had been broken up and forgotten. All he could remember now was hate…and evil…and wickedness… All he could see in the world now was how broken and sinister it was… All he could see of other people was how twisted and wicked they were. There was nothing good in the world now. There was nothing good anywhere. Just evil.

And his father was the worst. His father had spawned only more evil, because he had hated him. He always hated him. He hated him more than anything else. He hated him for being weak, and stupid, and a failure as a son. He was never a mighty conquerer like him. He was never a mighty warrior like him. He was never anything but a failure to him. The monster…he was the worst of all. He wasn't Hades…he was worse than Hades. That evil had come from him. He had all that evil and more. Everything he hated about Hades he truly hated about his father. He was a wicked, foul being…

Indeed, all in this world was wicked. All of it. There was no good in anyone. There was no good in anything. You struggle to be good, only to have it be taken advantage of. You struggle to uphold justice, while vagabonds and evildoers did whatever they wanted with it. There was no good in the world. Good, he now realized, was an illusion. There was only evil now. Evil was the state of the world. And it only grew moreevil as time went on. The races of the world only grew more and more foul. They didn't respect good anymore. None of them did. Not the espers…not the humans…not anyone. No one cared for good anymore.

No…they cared only for power. Everything cared for that. It was that which ruled the world. Nothing else mattered. Gilgamesh saw that now. The people only respected him so long as he had power. Once Odin took his place, he was yesterday's news. His father only respected him so long as he had power. When he showed himself weak, he no longer cared. He was just another failure. Only the powerful commanded respect. Only they mattered. Nothing else. It filled Gilgamesh with fury. It drove him mad with anger. After all he had done, this was what happened. This was what was the result. What did he get for his care and leadership? Pain…injury…misery… And they readily turned to a next leader. That's all they cared about. That's all they ever did. Them, and all humans… The whole damn wicked race…

At that, however, Gilgamesh came to a realization. A thought entered his mind, and quickly took root. So, that was how things were done. That was how the world worked. Then so be it.

For too long he had been catering to others. For too long he had tried to fulfil the dreams of others. And why bother, in a world where no one cared about basic virtues? Why bother in a world without goodness? If the world respected power…then he would get it. He _would_ become better. But it wouldn't be for Odin or his people anymore…it would be himself. He would be the best. He would be the greatest warrior alive. He would gain the supreme power. And all others would be put down at his feet. All others would bow to the supreme power that he wielded.

He saw it now. All this knowledge…diplomacy…caring…useless. Power was all that mattered. Power was all that was needed to bend others to his command. And why shouldn't he be the one that had the most? He was a son of great espers. He had skills and intelligence above all others. Hadn't he labored harder than all others? Hadn't he strained more than all others through his entire life? Why couldn't he be the best warrior? Why shouldn't he be the strongest? Why shouldn't he be the ultimate being?

And why couldn't he?

He could. He could become the best. He could become the greatest. He could make all others bow to his power and will. His strength could become the greatest, and he would surpass all others human and esper alike. He could do it…he would do it. After all, he had the greatest weapon ever…

Gilgamesh lowered his hand to his side to grasp the weapon. However, as he began to feel down to his side, he felt nothing. His face, which began to smile in response to his new line of thinking, suddenly turned to a look of surprise. He quickly looked down to his side, but saw nothing. His face turned to shock. Quickly, he looked around his body, struggling to find his sword. But he saw nothing. The Masamune was gone. That was impossible, unless…

His face flew into anger again. His father had taken it…stolen it from him. It wasn't enough for him to take his people. He had to take his sword as well, a blade better than any other sword ever made. Gilgamesh cried out in anger. He struck the ground with his foot and hissed. He acted almost animal like now, twisted and furious, his thoughts dominated with anger and rage. Curse his father! Curse him and his notions of heirs and successors! It filled him with anger, making his quiver in rage and fury. His weapon was gone…his sword was gone! That would have made him king of the entire planet…

He had to get it back… He had to take it back! But how? He wasn't strong enough…he didn't have any strength now. He lacked a great weapon. His father was better than him now, for he was already superior in strength and he had the Masamune. He had to become stronger… He had to become better…but how? What could make him stronger? What could make him better? How could he gain the strength to overwhelm all others? What could give him that power?

As if in response to that…a dark voice suddenly ran through Gilgamesh's head.

Immediately, the esper stiffened. He snapped around and looked behind him. However, he saw nothing. There was no one there. He turned around slowly, searching around for a moment. But he still saw nothing. He began to ease down after that. But just as he did, the dark voice went through his head again. It was clearer this time. It was weak and soft, like a whisper. But it was definitely a voice and not an illusion. Gilgamesh spun around violently again. His eyes widened, and he quickly looked around in a circle. But he saw nothing.

Again, the dark voice spoke out. Gilgamesh didn't bother turning this time. He tried to focus on it instead to find the source. However, it seemed to be coming from all around, and echoing through him as well. Gilgamesh's face tightened. Worry creased his face. Anxiety gripped him from within, and he felt nervous and afraid.

"Who's there!" He demanded at last.

The voice whispered in reply to him.

Gilgamesh paused a moment, breathing hard and panting. Fear had taken him now, and he was stricken with panic for a few moments. But he kept breathing and held a long time. He didn't move, but waited and waited to calm down. Then, at last, he spoke out again into the air.

"I hear you… You're…in my head?"

More whispers followed.

Gilgamesh blinked, and shook his head. "No…what…I mean, what are you?"

A pause went by, as Gilgamesh stared forward into the darkness around him.

"You're…what Hades was making? You're the plan he spoke of?" A pause, then a snort. "Figures. Father was telling the truth after all."

Another pause, and Gilgamesh turned his face to anger.

"Of course I hate him!" He snapped. "I hate him more than ever now…now that I see him for what he is."

A brief pause, and Gilgamesh's face softened.

"I will have revenge…but I need power now. I need more than I have."

A pause went by. Now, Gilgamesh's eyes widened.

"What? What do you mean…you can give it to me?"

Another pause.

"Ultimate power?"

A longer pause.

Gilgamesh's face turned eager. His eyes flashed in desperation. "How? Tell me, how!"

Another longer pause, the longest yet.

Gilgamesh paused and thought over this a moment. He hesitated for a few brief seconds. His face turned to concern, and seemed to mill this over. He thought over it for quite a long time. "So…" He spoke up at last. "You need more power… And then, it shall come to me when it has culminated. But how do I get it?"

Another pause.

Gilgamesh's head perked up at this. "Where?" He asked. He looked around desperately for a few moments. But then, his head rested on the Dark Tower. It was far in the distance, but it was still near enough. He looked to the air at that, and then gestured ahead of him. "There?" He asked. "Very well…I'm going."

Gilgamesh immediately took off. In no time at all, he was bounding across the field toward the Dark Tower. Thanks to his esper strength, it didn't take him long at all to cross the field. He passed by the mass graves, the funeral pyres, and all the rest of the carrion still laying around, and went right to the entrance once again. Once there, he quickly entered the tower, shot through to the stairs, and thenascended in a flash. Within no time at all, he was up past the first floor, the second, and the third…and finally charged up onto the roof itself.

The dark wind blew around. It was colder and more stagnant up here. If anything, the wind here seemed even more foul than that morning. It felt like walking into a grave. But Gilgamesh didn't care. He only cared about what he had to find. He looked around a bit more, and then finally spotted what he had been told to seek. The pile of blood red robes on the ground. Gilgamesh orientated his whole body toward it, and then quickly ran over to it. He ducked down next to the pile, and immediately pushed and pulled the rags aside. As he pulled the robe aside, he finally found it.

It gleamed with a sort of darkness, rather than a light. It seemed to shimmer with a sinking blackness, as if it was drawing light into it rather than shimmering it. It seemed to radiate blackness and shadows. It felt like a piece of ice, and the life seemed to be drawn out of Gilgamesh's hands as he touched it. All warmth faded as he touched it, and it seemed to drain the breath from his mouth as he breathed over it. It seemed to be an item of pure evil…pure darkness.

Yet Gilgamesh only hesitated a moment. Then, hands trembling, eyes wide-open…he leaned down and took up the stone.

"S-s-so…this is it?"

A pause.

"The Oblivion Stone…"

Another pause. Gilgamesh stared at it a moment longer. But then, he raised his head up. He looked into the sky, his eyes wide…filled with a new madness.

"So…everything has been prepared?"

A pause.

"All the forces are ready?"

Another pause. Slowly…a grin began to spread across Gilgamesh's face.

"Yes…all is ready. The construction can take place right away. You only need one to be the architect…and one to inherit the power."

Gilgamesh grinned darkly, a new wickedness coming over him. Quickly, he drew himself up on the top of the roof. He held the great black orb over his head. He beamed over all of the countryside, teeming with power and fury as he stood there. He could already anticipate the new power. He could already feel himself surging with might. He glared out over the black landscape, already looking forward to the glorious future.

"This shall be built. The Temple shall be built, and the power of Chaos shall be mine! Nothing will stop us! Nothing!"

* * *

"…And then I returned here." Odin darkly finished, his face down and grim. "That, essentially, is what has happened in my life ever since the birth of Shoat."

The assembly of espers were silent. They stared at their older brother and didn't say a word. The original group was there, as were the first few generations of espers. But other than that, the others were put outside. Still, the most mature group and leaders were gathered there, and they had just heard Odin's long story. Now, they stood in stunned silence. Starlet's head was down and she didn't react. Leviathan blinked in astonishment and mused over all that had happened. Bahamut stood in the back, gaping and amazed.

Long had he feared that one of them would reproduce by severing off their evil half. But he never really believed one would do it. But Odin had. He eventually had been driven to that madness. And it had caused great chaos in the world outside. It had killed his own son. However, he could read his interior. He knew well that Odin had learned from this. That was why he had sealed himself up in grief for so long. What more, he also knew his new feelings toward Gilgamesh. But those feelings had come far too late. Now his son was gone, and many other humans lay dead. The price of Hades' blood had been the blood of many others. His mistake had cost hundreds of lives, and had bred all sorts of evil on the world. Bahamut didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to say. The monster was dead, but it didn't change what had happened…

Bahamut was distracted by his thoughts when he suddenly heard a shift. He looked to the sound, and saw that Starlet was getting up. Her face was calm and controlled, and she seemed much more composed from earlier. However, as she got up, she slowly walked over to Odin, who was still seated. He looked up to her as she came, but said nothing and showed no emotion. Finally, she was standing right in front of him, and there she halted.

Almost immediately, she began to strike Odin across the face as fast and hard as she could.

"Starlet!" Leviathan cried out. He got up to rush over to her, and the others quickly began to rise and come over to her as well. But they couldn't reach her immediately. The first two people who grasped her from behind were angrily thrown off as Starlet continued to maddeningly hit Odin.

"You _bastard!_" She screamed. "You killed him! It was you! _You killed him!_ He's dead because of _you!_"

Odin didn't resist. He didn't even close his eyes. He merely let her continue to strike him. The other espers jumped on her, and eventually they began to pull her back. She kept resisting so she could strike again. At last, Leviathan came around from behind her. He quickly extended his coils around her arms and waist, pinning her back and pulling her back. As he did, Starlet's anger suddenly broke, and she burst out into tears instead. Sobbing loudly, she turned and buried her head against Leviathan's neck. Her strength vanished, and she collapsed against Leviathan. Soon the sea serpent had to hold her up as she wept. Leviathan's own face turned to sadness. He lowered his head against her own shoulder, and began to try and reassure her. The rest of the room calmed down and backed off, looking to Starlet as she sobbed against Leviathan. Finally, Leviathan turned her around and began to lead her out of the room. She moved very stiffly, and Leviathan had to move her out mostly, but he did manage to take her out of the room. Soon, both of them were gone, and the room was silent again. The espers turned and looked to each other for a moment, but then they began to calm down. They all moved back and returned to their seats once more. After that, there were a few moments of silence.

Bahamut stared at Odin, not knowing what to do now. He wasn't sure what he should say at this point. Regardless of whether or not Odin repented of this evil didn't change the fact that the crime he committed was inexcuseable. But before anything else could happen, Odin raised the edge of his cape, and looked down into it.

"All right, you might as well come out now."

The other espers looked to this for a moment. But then, to their surprise, four green faeries flew out from within it. The surprise didn't last long, however, as they remembered that Odin had explained that he had picked them up in his story. However, until now, they didn't know that they were here with them. But they were here now. The four readily floated in the center of the room, and there they stood for a few moments.

"Here they are." Odin explained. "I brought them back. You can decide what to do with them now."

Bahamut looked up and stared at the Sylph for a moment. They had been bad, that much was true. And they had caused a lot of bad actions. But they had returned. That was the important thing. All of their heads were bowed, and they appeared to be penitent. If that was the case, then perhaps they could still change for the better. And so, he gave a nod to them.

"Well, welcome back, children." He told them. "Now that you're back, you're going to have to learn to abide by the rules here. And you'll have to work hard if you want to earn our trust after all you've done. But you'll be treated the same as everyone else, so long as you behave yourselves."

The Sylph continued to be bowed down for a moment, continuing to look penitent. But then, abruptly, three of them threw their heads up and blew a raspberry at Bahamut. The espers saw this, and were immediately taken aback. The fourth one looked up to this, and seemed a bit surprised at this sudden reaction. The other three immediately laughed and flew higher to the ceiling, away from the others. The fourth one hesitated, but then flew after them. Soon they were all flying overhead, and laughed and yelled down.

"Ha! Yeah right!"

"We're finally free, and you think we're going to do all that boring stuff?"

"We're going off to find new people to torment!"

Odin's face immediately turned to rage. He quickly shot up out of his position and glared at them. However, the Sylph saw this, and quickly flew up higher than before. "You little ingrates!" He snapped angrily at them. "You promised me!"

"Yeah, yeah…we promised you." One mocked.

"We promised we'd come back with you here, but we didn't promise that we'd stay!"

"We promised we wouldn't curse anyone anymore, but we can still tease them and cast spells on them!"

"So long, suckers!"

Three of them immediately flew off, laughing and swirling around each other as they shot out of the sky and toward the exit. The fourth one, however, actually held a moment. She alone didn't laugh or insult. She instead looked kind of surprised at this entire chain of events. She looked to the people around her and back to the flying Sylph for a moment. But then, in the end, she turned to the others and flew out after them. Odin scowled at them for a moment. Bahamut himself rose and looked out after them. But soon, they were flying out and were gone.

"I'll get them." Ogopogo said, beginning to rise.

Bahamut, however, merely sighed in response. "No…let them go."

The others, Odin included, turned and looked to him in puzzlement at that. Bahamut sighed in response, however, shaking his head as he looked out. "They won't stay. We can't make them. The only thing we could do would be imprison them. And perhaps we'll have to eventually. But so long as they're not cursing anyone, they can't do any lasting damage. If they make any trouble again, however, we may have to destroy them. But not right now. Enough espers have died for the time being."

The espers couldn't argue with that. They bowed their heads and became silent on hearing this. Odin frowned a bit, and might have protested and followed up on his threat. But he was too ashamed with himself for now. And so, he said nothing. The others settled down after this. The incident was allowed to pass for the time being. Now, Bahamut raised his head and looked over to the warrior esper. He turned his thoughts to him again after this. A brief time went by, as he looked at him, trying to think of what to do next. There was silence for some period.

"Well…Odin, I'm afraid I have to do something about this." He told him at last.

"I'm well aware of it." Odin replied, still standing, and resuming his bold look again. "However, I have my own suggestion."

The other espers looked a bit more intently at Odin at that, intrigued at this sudden change. Bahamut himself creased his eyebrows and put a hand to his chin. Odin looked back at them silently for a moment, then spoke.

"I seek to finish the job that my son started. I wish to return to the world of men."

The espers seemed rather surprised at this. A few had their eyes open wider, Bahamut among them. He hadn't expected this sort of response. None of them had, especially after all that had happened. Moreover, Bahamut wondered why he would want this. His suspicions were immediately aroused. He wondered if the part of Odin's story that told about the men of Gilgamesh praising him actually had affected him. Perhaps he wanted it now. That only made Bahamut a bit more uneasy.

"Why?" He asked at last.

"Gilgamesh set out to unite all humans under one banner again, to establish a lasting peace among all people." Odin explained. "He toiled and labored in the world among mortal men for years doing this. And in the end he died far from home. I feel I owe him after all he sacrificed. It's the least I can do in penitence for the trouble I caused. Perhaps I can curb the violence of mankind."

There was a pause among the espers in the room. Bahamut believed Odin was serious, for the warrior rarely lied. However, he still felt uneasy. He wondered if there was some alterior motive involved in this. And so, he hesitated for a long while. The others did too.

"…I have some fears regarding this…" Bahamut spoke up at last.

"I understand." Odin responded. "But consider this. I do not plan on having full range of my powers in the world. I intend to take the form of a human for the duration of my stay among them. I will not wield Masamune. I already told you once that the blade belonged to my son, and I will not let anyone else wield it, human or esper. Finally, I do not plan to build on my honors and take the throne of Gilgamesh's people. Those were his people, after all, and not mine. In short, I intend to start off as just another human stranger. But you must understand something else." Odin paused for a moment. His head bowed slightly. His voice became lower and spoke more quietly.

"I cannot remain in Terratopolis after what I have done. I have done far too much evil in my time, injuring all who could have been in my family. Regardless of what punishment you think I deserve, I will not stay in this esper paradise while my sons rot in the ground."

Bahamut paused after hearing that. He looked Odin over, and thought about this matter. There was a long silence in the room. The espers looked to one another but said nothing. Bahamut himself rubbed his chin and inhaled deeply. Again, Odin seemed to be genuine. And he could not deny the fact that the world still had much wickedness in it. It needed a figurehead like Odin to keep it in line and guide the people. Still, he had many reservations. And he did not want to act rashly. This event had also shown him the dark side of an esper ruler in the world…

"…Give me a week to think it over." Bahamut spoke at last.

Odin nodded to this, accepting it.

"You're dismissed."

Odin immediately rose up, gave a small bow to Bahamut, and then turned to leave. Soon he departed the same way the others had. Some of the others watched him leave, while others were deep in thought. But at any rate, Odin was soon gone. The council was left together in silence. Bahamut didn't watch Odin leave. Instead, he looked forward and paused for a long while. He inhaled deeply and thought. In the end, however, he bent his head down. He propped it up in his arms and stayed silent for a few minutes. No one left, however. They all turned to him and waited, seeing if he would dismiss them or say something else. At last, he did speak.

"…One thing puzzles me…where was the magicite for Hades and Gilgamesh?"

* * *

"Ha! I can't believe he fell for that!"

"Espers can be even bigger suckers than humans!"

"No more Hades now!"

"Yeah!"

"Now we can do what we want again!"

"Yee-ha!"

"So what do we do first?"

"We can't curse anyone anymore…"

"So let's stampede some cattle!"

"Or tie knots in little girls' hair!"

"Hey! What's up with you?"

This last comment turned three of the Sylph around to look at their fourth sister. The one was lagging behind the other, and she didn't look nearly as happy or jovial. They had flown higher now, exiting Terratopolis and now flying over the great mountain. The three of them were dancing around and full of excitement, but not the fourth one. More events had happened that had impacted her since she entered the home of the espers. And those events built on the ones from earlier. Similar as they seemed, the four Sylph were not the same creature. They all had their own personalities. And now, one of them was exerting her own. Unlike her sisters, she had not been able to shake off the warnings of Odin so easily. And so she lagged behind. Even now, with freedom looming ahead, her mind was troubled. More troubled than before as well.

"I…I'm…not feeling well." The Sylph answered at last. That was true enough. She didn't feel well. She felt a burning inside, and a coldness in her heart. Emotions of guilt and heartlessness were filling her now.

"Well, come on!" One yelled. "You're holding us up!"

"Hey, I got it!"

The other two Slyph turned to this sudden announcement. The fourth did not. She held back a little, and only slowly looked up to her.

"Let's give people warts!"

"Hey, yeah!"

"I always love doing that!"

One turned around to the lagging Sylph. "Yeah! And you used to be the best at it? Wouldn't it make you happy?"

This Sylph kept her head bowed and hesitated. She continued to be slow and hesitant. "I…I guess…" She finally said, slowly and reluctantly.

All three Sylph frowned at her at this. They began to pout.

"You're no fun!"

"Stop being such a stick in the mud!"

"You don't actually believe that crud they told you, do you?"

"What are you, some sort of goodie two-shoes?"

"You used to love cursing people!"

The fourth swallowed. She kept her head down and looked uneasy. She didn't move, and grasped her wrists and wrung her hands. "Um…maybe you guys should go on ahead. I'll…I'll catch up…later…"

The three stared back in puzzlement for a moment. They hesitated and looked over her. Finally, they all snorted as one.

"Fine."

"Mope around here if you want."

"We're off to have fun."

With that, all three stuck their tongues out at her. Then, in a flash, they turned and began to fly away. They spiraled around each other and laughed as they did. Within seconds, it looked as if they didn't even care there were only three of them. As they flew away, they seemed as happy and cheerful as ever. Soon they were gone. As for the remaining Sylph, she watched them leave. She was somewhat unhappy to see them go. She was hoping that they would have tried to make her feel better. She hoped they would have cared about her more. But as she hovered there…she realized that was a foreign idea to them. None of them had ever really cared about each other. They just stayed together so long as if was fun for them to cause mischief together. They never really cared about anyone or anything except themselves. And until recently, this Sylph had been the same way. She didn't care who she hurt or what was wrong, so long as she was doing well. However…she felt a burning inside her when she wanted to return to her old way of life, and it turned her back toward the mountain realm below her as she hovered there.

True, she had loved causing mischief. Even when doing it under command she enjoyed it. But now, what Odin said affected her. She didn't appreciate being abused. She hated it, in fact. She remembered well the pain and misery that Hades had given her. She remembered it all too well. So much in fact that she had been willing to do anything to escape him. Perhaps she would have been like the others too, willing to make any promise but then break it. But when Odin had reminded her how much misery she caused others…she remembered something else. As she threw herself down at Odin's feet, she remembered other humans throwing themselves down at her feet. She remembered that she held the power to make them miserable or happy. And when they had pleaded with her and begged for mercy, their pleas fell on deaf ears. She enjoyed baiting them, in fact, making them feel that she would have mercy only to turn around and do evil to them a moment later. And she began to realize…what if Odin had done the same? What if she had been treated in the same way? It was what she deserved. It was what they all deserved. Odin shouldn't have given them any mercy. But did that make him the fool for showing them pity? …Or did it reveal something else?

When the Sylph had come to Terratopolis, she saw something else. She saw the mother she had insulted and spurned years ago. She was thinner now, looking like a regular person. And she saw her weep over her dead son. She almost wondered…would she have acted the same way over them? Or would she have been glad that they were dead? After all…what good had they ever done? Gilgamesh had been a help to humans and a pride of the espers. But what of them? What were they like? Would anyone mourn them? Would anyone be sad when they died? Or would they be happy that they were delivered from a curse? The Sylph realized a horrible truth. There was only one other person she knew who had died and no one had cared. That had been Hades. What did that say? Were they really not so different?

None of the Sylph wanted to be compared to that monster. But in truth…she began to realize something more horrifying. They weren't all that different after all. Both of them delighted in misery and pain. Both of them loved nothing. Odin was right…they were a pair. They considered themselves justified because they were oppressed by Hades. But in the eyes of everyone else…they were just as guilty as he, and just as unloved. And that led to an even more chilling revelation…one that made the Sylph bend over in fear.

No one loved her.

Not her sisters…not her parents…not humanity…nothing. By leaving Odin just now, they had broken their last tie. No one loved them anymore. No one cared if they lived or died. No one would help them again if they were in trouble. No one would care for them if they were hurt. People would just leave them to die from now on…and spit on their graves. They had no friends…no family… They were just as bad as Hades. They were in the same group. And that made the Sylph feel more alone and empty than ever. No amount of temporary pleasure would arrest that. She was unloved…and with no hope…

But then, as she hovered there…she began to wonder if there was some hope.

She hadn't been born to be wicked. No…her mother had once loved her. Her mother had once wanted her to live with her. Before they spurned her, she accepted them unconditionally. Would there not be some way to return to her? Would there be some way to be pardon of her? Could she not throw herself down at her feet, admit her evils, declare herself unworthy of being her child, and beg for pardon? Was there not still some chance to repent? Could she still not have a life?

No…there was no hope, she realized in sadness.

They had come too far. The Sylph were too evil. No one trusted them now. No one would accept her promises or mercy. No, she was too different. She was too much of a monster. She would continue to be considered the same as Hades. It was hopeless, she realized, feeling crushed again. She had ruined everything. She was not even a shadow of who Starlet had once loved. Once she had tried to make the perfect child. But now…

But at that…a new thought entered the Sylph's brain.

How was it…that Hades came into being? Was it not by Odin pulling out the evil from his body, and embodying it? And couldn't it work the opposite way? Could she not take all the goodness out of herself, whatever was left…and make it into a new body? Could she not purify herself? Then there would be no evil or doubt left in her. There would be no more wickedness. All that would be left would be the pure child that Starlet always desired. A perfect child. Surely…surely Starlet would accept her then. Surely then she could call her mother, and be loved.

It was a ray of hope…a possibility…a chance. It was her one shot at redemption. The others were lost, but she could save herself. She could take everything that was worth anything in her and make something of herself. It was her only chance…but it could work. It had to work! It was her only hope at erasing the black image stained on her life and soul.

With that, the Sylph decided. She turned and began to fly back to Terratopolis as fast as she could.

* * *

Once out of the chamber, Leviathan reverted back into his human form. Using this he was able to embrace Starlet and let her cry against him. He couldn't blame her, just as he couldn't blame her for her anger. Leviathan was plenty enraged himself. He couldn't believe that Odin had done something so wicked and irresponsible. He couldn't believe his obsession with an heir had driven him to that. And now, because of him, his pupil was dead. He had such great hopes and dreams for Gilgamesh. He had expected so much to come from him. And because of Odin, a son that was worth more than a thousand Hades had been killed. Leviathan almost wanted him to pay with blood for this death. He might have flown into a rage and sobbed himself. But he had to be strong now, for his wife. Much as this death outraged and hurt him, the death effected her much more. It was her son.

Starlet continued to lean against him. She sobbed and sniffled. But she broke in crying, long enough to say one thing.

"First Phoenix…and now Gilgamesh. Everyone I love dies, Leviathan…or leaves me… Like the Sylph…"

"No…no…" Leviathan tried to reassure. "Don't say that."

"…It's my fault. I should have gone to help him. I could have saved him. I-"

"We didn't even know what was going on, Starlet. We didn't know what was at risk. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I thought he could have lived. I thought he could have handled anything with the Masamune. But I was wrong. If I hadn't miscalculated, I could have gone to help him."

"I…I just wish I could have done something…" She spoke with a pause. Then, her voice began to choke up. "Gilgamesh…my son…" With that, she broke again and buried her head against Leviathan more strongly than before. She sobbed more loudly than ever, and clutched him harder.

Leviathan looked up and out as she did this. He wished he could say something to lessen the pain, but there was nothing. He did not believe it was Starlet's fault though. No…that was ridiculous to say when the real culprit was so clear and obvious. This whole chain of tears only made him further enraged at Odin. He felt almost like attacking him himself. And he would be far less gentle than Starlet. For though he hadn't lost a son, he had to see his wife endure this misery…

However, something happened abruptly that tore Leviathan's mind away from Starlet and Odin. He sensed something. Immediately, he raised his head and looked to the air. Starlet continued to cry against him, not noticing this. But he focused none the less and directed his attention to this new sensation. It was a new powerful signature. It was relatively weak compared to other espers, but strong compared to normal creatures. And it had just passed in to Terratopolis. Now, he sensed that it was traveling through the halls…all the way down to…the fusion chamber.

Leviathan hesitated a moment. He didn't know what to do. He looked back down to his wife, and tried to think of the best way to extricate himself from this situation. He looked around uneasily and thought for a few moments. But then, at last, his fidgeting over this caused Starlet to sniff and calm down a little. She had relaxed again somewhat anyway. She turned her head up and looked to her husband's face, and she saw the new concern in his eyes. Despite all that had happened to her, she realized this and picked up on it.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I…I sensed something." Leviathan responded. "A small signature just went into the fusion chamber. I think it was an esper, but I don't recognize it among anyone else."

Starlet blinked a moment, but despite all her pain she began to realize the seriousness of this new event. She stared at Leviathan a moment. Leviathan himself finally licked his lips, and then turned nervous. In a very apologetic tone, he began to speak again. "I…I don't see anyone else responding to it. I think I'll check on it." Quickly, he added more. "But I'll be right back. I'm just going to run out to look at this real quick and make sure it's nothing. Just wait here and I'll be right back."

Starlet paused at this, and thought it over. But then, after some pause, she managed a slow nod. She knew very well that despite misery or sadness, things still had to be done. Duties still had to be carried out. Leviathan then began to pull himself away. However, he didn't get too far before Starlet spoke up in a bolder voice. "I'll…come with you." She said at last. "I'll see this myself."

Leviathan paused at that, but then gave her a nod. Soon, he turned down the hall and began to walk down it toward the fusion chamber. Starlet followed after. For a few moments, Leviathan led on. But then he fell back and alongside her. He then mostly guided her along and walked with her. She moved slower now, due to her grief. And he wanted to support her.

The going was slow then. They only gradually made their way toward the chamber. Leviathan was a bit afraid whatever was there would leave before they got there. But Starlet didn't break down. She sniffed and restrained her tears for now. She followed along and let her duty and concern replace her sadness for the time being.

It took quite a while to move down the corridor.But the energy signature didn't leave. Then,when they were only about a hundred yards away from the entrance, Leviathan suddenly sensed something new. The energy seemed to be dividing. Leviathan, in an instant, recognized what that meant. It was reproducing. Leviathan froze, and his face turned to surprise. He turned and looked to Starlet at that as well. At this point, she too was sensing the signature, and she had sensed the same thing. Her own face looked more concerned now. In a flash, both of them turned and broke into a short run. Even with her grieving, Starlet was able to manage it. They quickly closed the remaining distance and reached the doorway to the chamber. In an instant, Leviathan flung it open. Both of them rushed inside to the room and looked around immediately.

For a moment, Leviathan thought he saw a flash of something. As he entered the room, his eyes first settled on the opening overhead. Starlet did as well, and they saw a shadow move across it for a moment, before vanishing into the sunlight. Both of them quickly rushed in and looked up to it, staring up and wondering what had just left through it. Leviathan began to scan himself, seeing if he could track it. But as he did, a soft, pleasant, innocent, gentle voice called out to them.

"Mother…"

Immediately, Leviathan and Starlet ignored the shadow. Instead, they turned their attention to the voice in some shock, for they had been surprised by it. They soon found themselves looking at the fusion tiles. And standing on one of them was an esper they had never seen before. She was tall and blonde-haired, and humanoid in appearance. She looked a lot, it seemed, like a somewhat younger version of Starlet. Her face was fair and similar in many ways. However, she seemed to radiate with an inner purity. No malice or wickedness was in her eyes. Her smile was gentle and kind, and she was covered withan aura of love and goodness. A long white gown clothed her, and the one thing that made her different from a humanoid was a large set of white wings on her back, feathered and soft-looking. These too seemed to glow with an inner light. It seemed as if there was an angel in the room. However, this young woman turned all her attention to Starlet, and extended her arms out to her in an offering gesture.

"I'm back."

The two espers stared in puzzlement of this person. Neither of them moved. Starlet blinked at it for a moment, and took a tentative step forward after a moment toward the new esper. As for Leviathan, he was suspicious. He began to scan the esper over, and was surprised at the result. Not only did the esper not resist his probes, she seemed to offer up more information to him. And there was nothing to find. There wasn't a dark thought in the esper's brain. She seemed totally pure and innocent, if such was possible. Starlet herself blinked, and looked her over.

"Do I…know you?"

"It's me." The esper spoke back gently. "One of the Sylph."

Leviathan's eyes expanded at that, taken aback at this sudden revelation. Starlet herself was stunned. And yet, she felt herself take another step toward it. "The Sylph?"

"Yes mother. But not the wicked creatures who hurt you so much years ago." The esper continued softly. "I felt sorry at long last for what I had done. I finally felt remorse. And I wanted to make myself into someone that you could love that would be free of all the evil I had accumulated in my life. So Iremoved the evil in my heart and separated into a pure, good esper. The Sylph is gone. My name is Saraphim."

Leviathan was astonished. He continued to muse over this. Starlet herself stood in amazement. She looked over this being, but began to realize it was true. She too could sense no lie coming from it. And she realized it did look much like her. The esper, Saraphim, however, bowed her head and took a step off from the tile. She walked forward toward the woman esper herself. Leviathan actually took a step back, but Starlet continued to stare at her in amazement. At last, Saraphim reached her, and in one gesture bowed down before her. Her wings spread across the ground at her feet.

"Forgive me, mother." Saraphim continued, growing mournful and sad. "I was foolish…stupid…overcome with thoughts of youth and personal pleasure… I never cared about anyone else. I never loved anyone else. And until now, I was so full of myself and my own desires that I still didn't care about how much pain and misery I gave other people. I only cared about my own well being. But those days are over now. I won't act that way again. Now that I am free from my evil and selfishness, I only feel love for others. I want to repent for my past misdeeds. I want to prove that I can love and care for people, and I will devote myself to such from now on. And I want to start with you, mother."

Starlet blinked in astonishment. She couldn't believe it. The child who once hated her and rejected her, mocked her and scorned her, had come back. And now, she had changed herself to become something radiant and pure. She had turned herself into this esper of goodness. She was amazed. She couldn't believe it. Was this truly her child?

"Even this act was done only for personal gain. I wanted to feel loved, and so I did this to make myself worthy of love. But I don't feel that anymore. Now, I want to give love as much as I receive. I want to give you the honor you are due, mother. I want to show my appreciation for you, and repay you for your kindness. Please…accept me back, and I will become the perfect child you always wanted. You once loved my unconditionally. Please…do so again now. Give me one final chance to repent from my evil."

There was a long pause of silence in the chamber. No one said anything. The hall was silent. But then, at long last, a reaction did occur. Starlet looked down at Saraphim. But then, she slowly lowered herself down as well. Saraphim kept her head bowed, not looking up to her. But Starlet came down next to her none the less, until she had kneeled before the young woman as well. She looked at her, her eyes growing longing and softening. Her tender heart began to feel for this new esper.

"…For six hundred years, a day has not gone by where I hoped and prayed that my children would come back to me." She began softly. "Today I felt as if my life was cursed, with the rejection of my children and the death of my son. But you have given me new hope…my daughter. You have filled me with a new kind of happiness…to see that after all these years one could still come back to me."

With that, Starlet reached out her arms and embraced the esper. Tears soon broke out again, but now they were tears of happiness. Saraphim could not fill the void left by Gilgamesh, but the thought that one of her children had come back had healed an old wound at long last. It filled her with hope and joy that one of her children had come home. She hugged the new esper tightly to her and cried for joy, half-sobbing, half-laughing in merriment. Saraphim only held a moment, before she too reached out and embraced her as well. Her own wounds of being alone and unloved were healed too. And so, she soon began to cry out as well in joy that she had a mother again. The estranged mother and daughter were at long last reunited. And that filled both with a happiness that neither of them had felt in a good long time. They stayed there kneeling on the ground, clutching each other tight.

Leviathan, seeing all of this, didn't have the heart to say anything. How could he? His wife was happy again, filled with a new joy. And he was happy…in some way…to see that a Sylph had come back. Because this esper had goodness within her, he realized she had the potential to do all that her mother did in regards to healing and curing, and perhaps could surpass it. And it would be nice to have another esper around who could bring so much happiness to his wife. With all that, he indeed couldn't say anything to darken this moment.

Yet his mind was already growing dark…for he realized that the Sylph's evil half had not just simply disappeared…

* * *

Her face was yellow with what seemed like jaundice, and her eyes burned with a merciless, cruel fury. They laughed with a mocking sinister emotion, for she delighted not in self-pleasure, but in pain and death. That was honey to her tongue and nectar to her senses. In her mind, she felt nothing but desires for wickedness and mischief of the fatal kind. She was long and thin and scantily clad, a voluptuous version of her alter-ego. Her hair was long and blond, and like her skin seemed to be both healthy and sickly. It seemed to be not death or life but life-in-death. Indeed, her thinness looked almost like it was a wraith-like body rather than alive. Her teeth were bone white behind blood-red lips as she grinned at the mountain she had left, already wickedness filling her brain.

"Tricks? Mischief?" Her cold, cruel voice addressed the air. She laughed in a high-pitched squeal, like a banshee or monster. "Games for children. No…misery and agony are what give _me_ pleasure. And Siren will provide plenty to go around."

With that, the fiend esper, Siren, turned to look and find someone to curse, mentally spitting on the empty promise it had made Odin.

* * *

To be continued...


	13. Oblivion

NOTE: As you probably have guessed from the mentioning of the Temple of Chaos, the story is at last getting into the timeline of the original Final Fantasy. That starts in this chapter. That said, I should warn you. Events from Final Fantasy will soon be entering the story, as I go onto its timeline. However, there may be discrepincies between the dates in the fanfic and in the game. Those were unintentional, but I wanted to give a general span of dates. Also...you'll notice that there will be some changes to the breakdown of events in Final Fantasy and additions of dialogue. Those are still a bit off...but just warning you in advance.

_

* * *

Five Hundred Years Later_

The day had come.

The Temple of Chaos was complete.

Gilgamesh looked up throughout the chamber. His excitement and joy were swelling inside him. His four fists tensed up in victory. Before him stretched the immense black central chamber of the Temple. All around him, torches were burning in oil lamps, and black obsidian stone surrounded them. The place felt cold and still, like the inside of a tomb. It seemed to suck the life from everything that came in it. Columns extended everywhere in all directions, out of the central chamber, throughout the Temple, and to all the branches. The air seemed still and stagnant, and the entire chamber was silent and quiet, like a place of death or a mane of evil. In truth, it was both. But at long last, it was completed.

The entire Temple of Chaos was made of a large, multi-tiered temple supported on four sides by four great spires. They pierced high into the sky, strong and thorny, like great daggers or fangs into the sky. They were dark and ominous, as if they were parts of a greater creature beneath the earth rising up its body to the heavens. The rest of the temple was a great layered ziggurat. It was the largest building ever. It stretched up to ten floors high, towering over the world below like ablack mountain. Even the exterior seemed cold. None could approach without feeling their blood still in their veins, and fear and doubt begin to fill their minds. The air around it was foul. The plants around it died, and the ground had turned to marsh. In many ways, it was like the Dark Tower. Only this one bore far more evil, as if it had a great dark source within it far more evil and wicked than anything ever was before. Evil seemed to radiate and pulse off of it. Even mortal men and animals could sense a cold radiation from it, feeling a numbing sensation of darkness and wickedness.

Gilgamesh was in the interior on the first floor, however. Here, in the central chamber, the culmination of all of his work stood. It had taken generations to build this structure, but the promises of Hades held. The dark races of the world were cursed until they carried out their promises. And so, everything had gone according to plan. Under the direction of Gilgamesh, each stone was laid, each rafter built, each column implanted… Dark curses were worked with the building of each part, investing an evil dark power within each part of the temple. Blood and bones were built into the walls, and sacrifices designed to bring more pain to feed the Oblivion Stone had been made in great number. But at long last, the time had come for completion. The Temple of Chaos now stood, looming and dark on the edge of the Southern Continent.

Gilgamesh grinned as he looked forward. Here, the final piece was awaited. The throne for the Oblivion Stone stood before him, awaiting its piece to be placed within. Already, Gilgamesh had been sealed within the Temple. There were no provisions for front doors. Thick stone blocked all exits. Once one went in, there was no way to stop him from completing his destiny. The halls were likewise filled with dark creatures, the deadliest known to man. Even if there was a way to get in, no one could survive the beasts that ran throughout the entire structure. And now…here was the throne. Once the stone was placed on it, it would be in the exact place on the planet where the Four Crystals intersected. It would have an effect there on them, but what exactly Gilgamesh did not know. Whether or not, it wouldn't matter. Once he placed the stone in the center, the power would come to him.

The warrior looked down at the stone. If anything…it seemed to have gotten darker and blacker with time. It seemed to generate more evil and wickedness than ever before. Every year, it got worse. However, Gilgamesh no longer believed in evil. He only believed in power. And that's what it meant. At long last, the power would be his. Power that would make him stronger than anything else. He would become the greatest warrior in history now. He would finally gain power far above and beyond any other warrior.All would bow to him. At long last, his work was finished, and the time for him gaining his true power was at hand.

Gilgamesh held the stone before him. He glared at it and looked into the emptiness within for a while. It seemed to almost be a piece of night itself now, black and drawing light into it. Then, inhaling nervously, trembling with enthusiasm, Gilgamesh stepped forward and slowly set it into the throne. A slight clicking was heard, and then it came to rest. Gilgamesh removed his hands and stared at it with a ravenous look. His body trembled with excitement. His mind burned with trepidation. It was happening at long last. He grinned with a hungry stare, and nearly drooled at the thought of it. Finally, he stepped back, and held all four of his arms overhead.

"I have at last completed your requests, master…" Gilgamesh told the stone. "And now, at last fulfill your promises to me. Give me power beyond that of any other living thing. Give me the power of Chaos!"

A brief pause went by. The stone didn't react. No effects went out. Gilgamesh gazed at it in hope, however. He wasn't sure how this was supposed to work. But he expected it to happen. He expected a reaction. Something would come. Something would make him stronger and mightier than all. And yet…nothing came. A minute passed…and then another. And still the stone didn't react. As a matter of fact, the power seemed to be settling in. No reaction came to him.

"Master?" Gilgamesh suddenly addressed. "The power? Where is it?"

However, to Gilgamesh's surprise…the stone responded. It wasn't just a mental response now. It was a real answer…and it came from the stone. The voice was deep and dark. It was far more powerful and wicked than Hades. It sounded like thunder. It seemed to radiate throughout the entire Temple, as if it resonated with it. Deep inside the Stone…something came out of the blackness.

Two red eyes burned forth, gleaming out of the stone.

_"Gilgamesh…you simple fool."_

Gilgamesh, in response, stood up in shock. He gazed at the stone in surprise. "Wha…what?"

_"You did not honestly think that you were worthy of obtaining the power of Chaos, did you?"_ The voice mockingly answered. _"You will never be worthy of my power."_

Gilgamesh glared in surprise. Was this possible? What did it mean? "What? What are you talking about? I built your temple!"

_"And now, you are useless to me."_ The dark voice returned. _"I never intended to give you any power. You are too unsuitable. Your soul once resonated with goodness and love. Black as it has become, the evil that dwells in it is merely a selfish desire for gain. That is all, and it is insufficient. I need stronger evil. I need a hate so powerful and consuming that it desires to bring death to all. You merely desire your own power. I need one that has always been inclined to evil, not one that perverted itself to that on a puny whim. You are not nearly sufficient enough. I will be able to draw a much stronger one here. I can transcend time and space in order to find it. But you…you are useless."_

Gilgamesh couldn't believe it. It felt as if his entire world had come crashing down. He felt dizzy and fainton hearing that.But that shock only lasted a moment. Abruptly, it turned into rage.

"You damned creature!" He snapped. "I built this for you! ME! I did this all for you! I served you for centuries! I labored for five hundred years to do this! And this is how you repay me! I earned this reward! I did this! You can't give my bounty to another! After all I've done for you!"

In response to this diatribe, this outpouring of anger…the monster merely laughed. That struck Gilgamesh even dumber than before.

_"Stupid fool…I need no one now. You were useful only in completing my goals. In truth, you should hate yourself for this. You said you wouldn't trust anyone else, but you were foolish enough to trust me. In the end, you were nothing more than a little subordinate that had been cursed by me. You were just a pawn in a larger game. But now, I am greater than any of this. You are good for nothing now."_

Gilgamesh seethed in fury. Anger seized him. He had been tricked again. Once more, he had merely been the servant of another. He had been spurned and cursed once again.But he wouldn't stand for this. He wouldn't bear it. This monster would learn the consequences of crossing him.This would be the end of that monster once and for all. Sneering, Gilgamesh abruptly shot forward. He swung his fist back, and prepared to drive it forward and smash the stone into dust. In a moment he was on it, and struck it with all his might.

Immediately, a powerful black flash erupted from the stone. A dark explosion struck Gilgamesh with violent force. In an instant, Gilgamesh was thrown back against the ground, flung across the chamber as if he was a doll. He cried out in agony and pain as he was landed, and then was left to slide across it. He screamed in agony, and grasped his fist. The one that had struck it had gone pale and white, the flesh on it dying and the blood running cold. The bones had broken and the fist was lacerated and bleeding. Gilgamesh continued to writhe in pain for a moment, but then turned into gaping shock as he stared at his limb. He couldn't believe what had happened to him. He glared in terror and amazement. Then, he looked back up to the stone. It was totally unaffected. It seemed to be unchanged in the least.His injured limb quivered, as he felt a numbness and pain shoot through his body. He glared at the stone for a few moments more. At last, it responded darkly.

_"This will be your grave, Gilgamesh. You have sealed your way into your own tomb. Go and die however you see fit. And there are many ways to die in this place."_

Gilgamesh glared at the stone. He felt feelings of betrayal and vengeance stronger than ever now. His body quivered in rage. He tightened his remaining fists. He grit his teeth at the monster and sneered.

"I will find a way out of this place…and then I will have my revenge on you. You will pay dearly for this."

Then, snorting and furious, the pale warrior pulled himself up from the ground. He was a bit shaky and hard, but he finally did get up. He turned and ran out of the chamber as much as his injury would let him. He hobbled most of the way, but soon he had reached the doors. Fuming in rage, he bashed them open with both of his hands and sent them flying open, large, thick, and black as they were. He went out immediately, and let the doors slam shut behind him. His echoing footsteps stormed away. After a few moments, they faded into the recesses of the temple. And all was silent in the inner chamber.

For a brief moment, nothing happened. The inner chamber was silent and still. Nothing else came forth or changed.

But then, the Oblivion Stone shimmered. It rippled within it for a moment, as if summoning a dark power. A moment later, the area in front of the Oblivion Stone began to ripple. A ring on the floor in the center of the chamber shifted and moved, as if the stone was changing. It ceased to be solid, and seemed to turn to liquid instead. It changed soon after that, however. It turned purple and dark, swirling around like a true mist or liquid.A deep darkness was burning deep inside the new substance. It seemed to be draining and sucking, much as the stone itself seemed to do. Only this hole seemed to seep into something far deeper and darker…something far beyond merely light or depth…but beyond time and space…far beyond the physical plain of normal men and into something far beyond.

Then, something began to come out of it. The substance rippled a moment longer, but then began to swell and bulge as somethinggrew out from it. A moment later, something broke the surface…and began to extend up into the chamber. It started as a pair of great horns. But they were cut off horns and not part of a creature. They connected to a great, concealing helmet. Next, a pair of armored shoulders came up. Then a heavily armored torso, arms, and legs. They were all gauntleted and plate armored. But there was no weapon on the person. He needed none. His colors were black and shadowy, and the cape around him was blood red. He looked like some sort of knight, but none like him walked the earth. What more…he seemed beaten. His armor was broken in many places. Slashes and lacerations were in his skin beneath. One of his arms hung limply at his side. One of his horns was nearly broken off. His body even seemed to sizzle, as if it had been burned in some way. He had been in some terrific struggle. He panted hard, for he waswinded and weak. Soon, he was fully out…a man and not any monster.

At least…not physically.

But the stone knew better.

This…was its true heir.

The heart of this one had always been evil. It had always been bent to destruction. It had never regarded life as something of value. It never even regarded it as adapting and changing with time. It regarded it only as a commodity. It held nothing as sacred about it, seeing lives as just another resource. And for years, it had not changed. It didn't change when it had been turned to a new task…a task involving the Lufenians. Their task had not been going well. They were not making progress in the changing of this world. They seemed to be adapting to this world, perhaps even enjoying it, or at least researching it over adapating it to their use. And so he had been sent. He had come to change the world in another way…to bring a new wave of chaos and destruction to this world. And he had begun it as well…but was cut off before his time. Yet he was cut off right here, right before the Oblivion Stone. Of course, none of this had happened here…not yet. Not for another 2,000 years. But the stone had the power now. And 2,000 years from now, it only had more. And so it was able to bring him here. It was able to transcend time and space to reach into an era far after this time that had what he needed. It wasn't willing to wait. It wanted to bring it to here now, right now…right when it had a chance.

The man blinked. He was stunned, after all. He had been snatched from the jaws of death and had been brought to this point, far in the past and far from his killers. And now he was free, but where was he? Surprise struck him. He couldn't move or react. But then, after a few moments, he finally turned and looked to the Oblivion Stone. The substance vanished around him. It became stone again. He was fully in this time. He looked and saw this stone, and he focused on it. For one of his power, it didn't take any time to find out that there was a dark presence inside it…pulsing with evil and strong.

"What…are you…?" The knight addressed at long last.

_"Someone who wishes to make your dreams be realized."_ The dark voice responded. _"The power of Chaos is yours to command."

* * *

_

Bahamut was angry again.

He found himself getting angrier more often. Because of this, he often retreated to the top of Terratopolis, there to recline and be alone with his thoughts. From up here, the whole mountain stretched below him, and he was free to watch the various esper children and esper adults run around. There were many now. The basin had been overgrown as well. A forest filled the area. The stream was a true stream now, and the once stone homes were now filled with wood frames, furnishings, and flowers. All in all, the once mountain had become a cozy and inviting city of the espers. It was peaceful and fertile. It was everything a person could wish for. And yet…Bahamut wanted more.

That was because of what was going on in the world outside his little paradise.

The widespread success and good forture of the esper world did not coincide with the world of humans. The death of Hades had not turned the world in a new direction. It had only plunged deeper into darkness. Hate and fury continued to build and grow between isolated human populations. As they grew bigger and stronger, more and more effort was directed to destruction of the other. Evils were increasing in the world. Ideas of terrorism, mass murder, torture…they had all come into being in the human world, and were being practiced more every day. The whole race seemed to be growing more wicked. Especially in their latest invention…a thing they called "war". Tired of fighting and arguing among each other, the violence of mankind was now yearning toward something new. They desired to totally wipe out the races they hated, and did so by declaring "war" on them. When that happened, they would summon great armies not for defense or a righteous purpose, but for no other reason but to slay all of their fellow man, rape their women, and make their children slaves. All the land and possessions would become theirs, which they would use to fuel a new war. They were not disgusted by their own actions, but rather reveled in them. In fact, humans that won many wars were actually considered the great ones among their races.

It was enough to make Bahamut want to puke. There had been a time when he pitied the humans for acting in this way. Then he was disappointed with them. Now…he felt his anger growing toward them. Determined not to act out again…as he did that one day…he frequently had to step aside and allow himself time to relax. But it also filled him with more anger. After all that had happened…all he had tried… The Dragoons…the Paladin…Odin's involvement…all was for nothing.

Oh, Odin was a mighty king, to be sure. He had unified twice the area of the world under one banner. But he frequently resorted to military conquest to accomplish his aims. He was not a peacemaker as his son was. Above all else, he was a warrior. However, he did not establish himself as a god above the people. Instead, he employed a different tactic. He took the form of a man and lived out his reign until he reached the end of a mortal life. Then he would pretend to die, and adjust into the form of a younger son who was to be the next king. However, he never married, and he never had any true offspring. He only gave the illusion he did. But despite that, evil continued to grow. Both in his territory and elsewhere.

If all this wasn't enough, however, Bahamut realized something else.

Whenever he was at rest…he sensed something…growing.

He couldn't quite explain it. When he first began to feel this strange phenomenon, he thought it was just his imagination. He thought it was some sort of flutter or distortion, and not anything of substance. But as the years passed…it only grew. It became more distinctive…more pronounced. It was a feeling that all of this negativity…all of this hate…all of this evil…it was gathering. It was coming together, as it was. It was only a slight feeling at first, but as years and decades went on it grew stronger. It became more than just a fading feeling, and became a distinctive sensation. It stopped fading, and became stronger, sometimes even overriding his other senses. As the evil of men grew, more and more of their hate seemed to be coming together. More and more of it seemed to be getting drawn into one area. He couldn't pinpoint where it was…but it was becoming moreso with time. Every year it shrank into a smaller area, as it grew stronger and stronger.

Bahamut didn't know what this was. He didn't know what could be causing it either. He conferred with Leviathan, but he couldn't help. He too noticed this, and he seemed even more concerned, but he couldn't explain it. He had surveyed the area where he sensed this new feeling, but it was too large an area to find anything. Bahamut had no theories of what it could be either. The feeling, however…was similar to Hades. It wasn't exact. In fact…it even felt a bit darker and colder. What could it be though? Hades was dead, wasn't he? Then again, his magicite was never found… Whatever this was, it was potentially dangerous…

Bahamut was thinking much along the lines of this when it came.

He didn't feel it alone, however. More sense attuned espers like Leviathan felt it much more strongly, of course. They sensed mostly what he did. But even the smallest espers felt a ripple of cold air go over them…a numbing sensation that traveled over their flesh and through their muscles.

But to Bahamut, he felt much worse. It was as if a great wave of darkness and evil had suddenly erupted. In a huge wave like a monstrous tsunami it moved over the land, covering everything and sending its dark feeling into the hearts and being of everyone. It was potent and strong, blotting out all life and light that filled the area with its emptiness. To Bahamut, if felt as if the whole world had suddenly grown darker. A shift happened throughout it, as if something had changed and had blotted out the sun.

The esper staggered and gasped, as if his air had been cut off. He felt backward as if struck. He was still reaching out with his mind, however, and the blow initially staggered him. It lasted only a moment, and he leaned back up, his face now strained with surprise and shock. He looked around in awe for a moment, his eyes scanning the world around him.

But then…they rested on it. He could not physically see the source of this, but he could feel it. A great eruption of evil…a geyser of pure hatred and chaos had suddenly sprung forth from the world. And now, it boiled over and sent a stream of its evil and wickedness into the air for all, like him, to see.

Bahamut felt himself grow cold and numb just to look at it. His heart raced, and his eyes widened in fear. Never before had he felt such wickedness. Not even Crusader showed this much. And yet…it was as if _his_ evil was there. And so was Hades' evil. And Ark's. And the hatred and anger of all living things had been concentrated into this one spot, and now it fountained forth as if the world could no longer contain it. It bled out like a black wound spilling its hatred all over the face of the earth. It was horrible…

_Dear God…what is this monstrosity?_

"Bahamut!"

The dragon was snapped out of his thoughts by this address. His sensory mode turned off…yet even then, he could still feel the pulsing evil. He turned his head down to the cliff, and was just in time to see Leviathan using his power to leviatate himself up to his side. He was panicked and strained looking, appearing more fearful than he had ever been.

"I take it you felt that?" Bahamut asked, as he uncrossed his legs and rose.

"Felt it?" Leviathan answered incredulously. "There's probably not an esper on earth who hasn't. I understood it, like you. It's as if all the evil in the past of this world has been unleashed in one gigantic movement."

Bahamut turned his head back out and looked to the horizon. Even now, he could almost see the spike arising from hundreds of miles away. "What is it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Leviathan answered. "It's that thing…that phenomenon we've been feeling. See how familiar it it? It's stronger, but it's the same feeling. All of that evil and hate…it's been gathering into this. And now, it's erupted. It must have reached some sort of a threshold."

Bahamut paused at this. He focused his eyes, and glared more at the horizon. Already, things were changing. The wind was beginning to get cold. The sky was growing dark. Plants were beginning to bend as if something was slowly killing them. Even from this far away, this darkness was growing and beginning to effect the world. Yet deep in the center of the spike…Bahamut sensed something else. There was a core to this…a source of this evil. And this source was one of inconceivable power. It far outclassed Hades…both in terms of wickedness and strength. It was horrible.

"Do you feel that?" Bahamut asked.

Leviathan turned and paused, but then frowned and nodded. "Yes… There's…something in the center. Some person…perhaps. Something is getting its power from this evil. Maybe this threshold was designed to give it more power…" Leviathan paused a moment, but then sighed and shook his head. "But…I don't get it! What's going on? Did Hades survive? Who could have drawn all this evil to itself? How? Why is it doing this? Why is it coming out now? Crusader is dead…none of us have broken off our evil… What thing could be causing this?"

"I don't know." Bahamut darkly replied, his face already changing. His jaw locked and his eyes narrowed. He focused entirely on the spike of evil. "But it doesn't matter…it dies today."

Leviathan wheeled around to Bahamut in surprise, but it was too late. In a flash, the King of the Espers unfurled his wings, gave one mighty flap, and launched himself into the sky. Moments later, he was flying faster than he ever had before away from Terratopolis, and toward the source of the growing darkness surrounding the world.

* * *

_Three hours…seventeen minutes._

Bahamut had never put much stock in time. Primordial sundials were starting to come into the world, but Bahamut hadn't cared for them. He only cared for relations…if there was enough time to do something or get something done. He never knew why…but for some reason he kept track of time that day. He counted exactly how long it took, from the moment of that eruption to the time he reached the source.

It was exactly three hours and seventeen minutes.

And for some reason…fate…destiny…perhaps even a higher power not allowing him to…he never forgot that time. Not in two thousand years did he forget it.

But that didn't matter now. What mattered was that he was touching down…in front of it.

The sky was black and swirling now. A growing maelstrom turned the clouds above and thundered unnatural lightning. As he landed on the ground, already it was losing its life. The grass was dead. The ground was turning dry and gray. This evil was quickly expanding, fanning out all over the world. But he didn't care about that right now. He didn't care of the evil being so near that it froze him to his soul, making him sick and dizzy as he stared. All he cared about…was the building before him…the first true building.

All he could do was shake his head at it. _My God…how did I ever miss this being built?_

It was a massive citadel. It stretched to the sky in a series of descending layers like a mountain of darkness. It was sharp thorned and ornate, made entirely of obsidian. It shimmered and felt cold, for an aura of evil pulsed through it. It traveled through the building like blood through a body. It glowed with an unearthly sinister quality. It was evil…the whole place was evil. But it was gigantic as well, a massive tower that had to have taken years and years to make. Thousands must have worked together to build it. And yet, he had missed it. It towered over him like a living shadow now, radiating more and more evil and wickedness. Yet somewhere, on the top of it, he sensed the source of it. It was gaining strength, but it was still far Bahamut's inferior.

Yet as Bahamut looked up the tower, glaring at it in the midst of all its evil and hate, seeming to cover everything like a black blanket…he thought he sensed something else. It was impossible, given the evil and wickedness that the place radiated…but it seemed almost…like there was a feeling shining out of the blackness.

A feeling…of light?

"So, you decided to show up as well."

Bahamut turned his head immediately to this, expecting an enemy. But there was none. Instead, there was another person outside. He had shed his human disguise, and once again looked like the mighty warrior he was as he dismounted Slepnir. The horse was already buckling nervously, looking ready to take off. But its master kept it quiet. Now, he glared at Bahamut.

The esper gave him a nod. "So, you decided to abandon your kingdom?"

"Just momentarily." Odin darkly answered. "You're not the only one that has an interest in wiping out evil…but I have a special tie into this evil."

Bahamut raised an eyebrow to this. "So? You think this is Hades?"

"I sensed his evil." Odin simply replied, turning his head to the citadel.

"I've sensed several evils in this monstrous thing."

"But it's his structure." Odin went on. "He was intelligent, regardless of anything else. He claimed that I couldn't destroy him…that he had set the foundation for something bigger. It seems as if that has quite literally come to pass. And now, I shall finish what I begun with him."

With that, the warrior esper raised both of his hands together and placed the palms together. Bahamut raised an eyebrow at this.

"You truly think you have the power?"

"I have not stopped training in five hundred years." Odin darkly replied, almost sounding a bit insulted. "I have gained much. You may want to shield yourself."

Bahamut paused a moment, but then gave a nod. He bent his body lower to the ground and put his wings back, covering his face with his arms. As for Odin, the warrior grunted and focused. As he did, he slowly drew his arms apart. A beam of light was between them, gleaming so brightly and strong that the darkness of the air did nothing to stop it.Bahamut had seen this once before, but it was much stronger now. Four times as strong as it had been before. He continued to draw it out, opening his arms wider and wider. Finally, he grunted again, and then quickly snapped his arms around and seized it at the middle. Odin had formed a new Gunge Lance. And now, he turned his full attention to the structure.

Glaring darkly through his burning red eyes, Odin hefted the spear over his shoulder and looked up, taking careful aim right at the source of the evil. A brief feeling of hesitation went through Bahamut, for he could still sense…at least, he thought he could…smatterings of light within the darkness. But it couldn't be real…not with all this pulsing evil. And so, he merely stood his ground and watched.

"Hades…I stab the heart of your legacy." Odin sneered. Then, he threw the Gunge Lance right at the building.

Moments later, it connected with the black obsidian. Not being the target, it was immediately cut through like a hot knife through butter. It cut its way straight to the intended target, the evil within the building. Bahamut waited and sensed, hoping to see some result from all this. He watched as the lance went in…and then, moments later, he felt the dark power suddenly fade into nothingness. This all took place within milliseconds…for a moment later the eruption came.

A blinding explosion, the size of a Mega-Pyrin full power, erupted from the building. The massive structure exploded out like a bud opening into a flower, the darkness within drowned out by brilliant white light. The clouds in the sky were blasted into nothingness as the massive eruption tore to the heavens and blasted away their darkness and gathering. Obsidian rocks were obliterated into nothingness and then vanished into the brilliant white light. Gale force winds whipped past, spooking Slepnir and ripping Odin's cape off. Crumbling and crashing resounded as the higher floors of the structure collapsed onto the lower, and then were vaporized by the growing white blast. Everything was destroyed. The world for miles around was enveloped by light and heat from the terrific weapon.

White filled the world, but finally it died down again. Bahamut could not see at first, but his vision cleared quickly. As it did, he was able to see what had happened. The sky was clear now. The light had returned to it once more, and the sky was blue for miles around…save for a massive plume of smoke now circling into the sky. The coldness and numbing was gone. The ground was dead, but not unnaturally dead anymore. Already, some of the more vivid plants were beginning to grow again. It was quiet for miles around, the black spike now gone and vanished into nothing. Bahamut saw Odin there, standing straight and tall on the ground and glaring darkly at what he had done. At last, the esper himself turned to it.

Little was left. The first floor was still there, but it was ruined and warped. Much of it had collapsed in. Exposed broken columns jutted up from it like ribs from a dead creature. The obsidian, once gleaming, was now covered with dust. Only the central chamber still had a complete roof. Chunks of debris and rocks rained down from the sky and dribbled on the ground. An entrance had been blasted into the structure now, but it didn't matter. It was gone. What wasn't burning was smoldering and smoking with intense heat.

Odin glared at it a moment longer, and then simply stated his judgment.

"It is done."

With that, he turned and began to walk back to his horse, who already was returning from being blown back. Soon he reached him, and after comforting him he quickly twisted his leg around and mounted the creature. Odin turned and made ready to leave…when he noticed something.

Bahamut still stood staring at the structure. Hesitancy was on his face. He glared at it with apprehension and unease. Something was strange. The world…it was not as bright as he remembered. The sun…bright again…seemed dimmer. The air seemed colder. The ground seemed harder. Even the moisture on the air seemed a bit more strange tasting. Something…had changed. The whole world seemed to have changed. It didn't seem like it had recovered completely from the destruction of the spike.

And the area itself…felt strange. The vast majority of the evil was gone. The building no longer pulsed it. And yet…it wasn't gone. Some still remained. It was weak…but it was concentrated. It was down on this floor itself. Bahamut hesitated at this. Did this mean it wasn't dead? Then again…nothing could have survived the blast. The source of the evil was gone. That much was clear. And yet…was it really gone? It didn't feel complete. It felt as if something was still alive…

"Bahamut? What's wrong?"

The King of the Espers stared a bit longer. However, he saw nothing new. Nothing was changing. Perhaps…it was fading. The evil had been strong. It might take time for it to leave this place. The foundation was still there…and Bahamut didn't like the looks of that. But it was destroyed. It couldn't be rebuilt. Bahamut would make sure of that, if need be. The evil might take time to fade after all… Perhaps it was finished.

"…Nothing. Nothing is wrong." Bahamut simply answered.

"Then I bid you farewell." Odin responded. He turned Slepnir and spurred him on. Moments later, the great beast leapt into the sky and began to bear the warrior esper away. Within moments, he was gone and headed north.

Bahamut stared longer at the ruin, watching it smolder. He glared at it for the longest time, unable to look away. But then, he thought simply. _Yes…it is done._ Then, with that, he turned took off, and began to go back to his home.

* * *

To be continued...


	14. Snuffed

_One Thousand Years Later_

…The day was much like that one.

Bahamut still remembered it. Of course…he could hardly put it out of his mind. He had been right here, meditating. He had grown more withdrawn with time. After a thousand years, his people were blossoming. The espers only grew in power and numbers. Happiness filled this valley. It was a paradise. Even espers outside did well. There was nothing other than light mischief being reported by the Sylph now. Chocobo's race was doing well throughout the world, having become widespread and even becoming new races of white and black birds. No, there were no worries for him below. None of the espers would trouble him.

Perhaps…that was why he was so withdrawn.

Here in this world, it was easy to forget about the rest. This society was perfect. The worst problem was a fight with the children. But it was for that reason that Bahamut had become apart from them. His mind was always looking to problems of the other races in the world. The people below never thought of them. Only Leviathan seemed able to, and his interest was mostly in furthering his knowledge base, not in their wars or chaos. And that was exactly what concerned Bahamut.

The world had grown even more wicked.

Humanity did not cease their bantering, but continued to intensify it. The espers cared little for this or for affairs of humanity. And the feeling was mutual. More humans were beginning to forget about them. They held them as myths now, no longer as substance. Some still held on to them as gods, but most now trusted only in their own strength and power. And they flexed it frequently. They constantly were waging wars now. They were endlessly at odds with each other. Bahamut was glad, on one note, that they no longer saw them as gods. But on the other hand, he was furious because now they no longer feared retribution. They conducted one act of evil after another, never fearing anything befalling them. As humanity grew in strength, it grew in arrogance and hate. All of their new energies were bent toward squabbling and evil. None cared about promoting the common good.

The other races of the world either didn't care or didn't help. Elves disliked the aggressiveness of humans, and withdrew from them almost all together. Dwarves were little better, isolating themselves and only interested in their own greed and wealth. The dragons were at war as always among themselves…little better than humans in their persecution of their own race. The Lufenians busied themselves with their own grand society in the air. They cared little for the affairs of other men. And so, the humans were left to grow in power and evil.

And they were growing in power now. At this time, they had perfected swords and armor like Odin. They were beginning to domesticate some Chocobos, using them as mounts to ride into battle. New fighting techniques were being developed too, all over the world…giving rise to new kinds of warriors. But most importantly…was the new race.

Cetra were still in the world. Occassionally, they would mate with humans. Every time they did, they produced a powerful hybrid human that exhibited a new power. Over time, these people had become isolated and their genes concentrated. What they were called now were powerful people…on a level of strength similar to the espers. They were called wizards. Like the espers, they possessed powerful spirits…ones that could actually effect reality by bringing out special powers. They possessed special abilities and magic just like the espers. It was weaker, of course…but it was growing in strength. The people who had these powers were physically weak, but they more than made up for it with their new powers. Bahamut wished that they could have used their power simply for giving life and helping others. Unfortunately…such was not to be.

There were three groups. Red Wizards mastered powers for both life and death, and had some physical ability. White Wizards were devoted to helping cure and bring life to others. Bahamut admired them. But there were others…the Black Wizards. These ones used their powers simply for destruction and conquest. Despite their natures, either side quickly found themselves fighting for both righteous and selfish causes. Their new powers were adding a destructive new element to men, accentuating their battles and wars with curses and incredible power. In the past, Bahamut had expected only people like him to pose these threats to men. But now, they were generating these threats themselves. They were harnessing and using the same powers once used to enslave them. And they thought only of more anguish and destruction as they continued.

Dragoons, Paladins, Dark Knights…they were joining the wars as well, driving the planet into more destruction and madness. Nothing satiated the human desire for blood.Odin's own people now stood on the brink of a new war. Half of his Northern Kingdom had broken off. They were now beginning a fierce civil war, a new type of war in which even groups of humans warred on each other. Death…battle…evil…it was enough to drive Bahamut insane. The humans seemed to love war and death more than anything else now, and they would not stop no matter what. The few peaceful humans left were slaughted in these violent conflicts. The humans were becoming a race where only death and power ruled supreme. Even Palad's line was now turning to corruption and war.

Bahamut watched this all unfold every day, growing worse and worse. And in the midst of it all, he grit his teeth and fumed and shook his head at the world around him. It made him wonder what he had saved when he bested Griever. It brought the haunting final words of that fiend to him…claiming that humans would one day be as bad as he had been. And through that all, Bahamut wondered…what indeed had he saved?

* * *

Revelry and cries of victory echoed through the castle of Odin. This new structure stood straight and three stories tall. A massive stone wall surrounded it and guarded it, smooth and formidable. Only a great portcullis and drawbridge allowed any entry over a wide moat into the building, and both were shut now. The attention was on the hall in the castle. Warriors poured in smacking their swords and shields and calling for a celebration. At the onset of civil war, they had won their first victory, and it was time for joy.

The great hall was filled with meat and drink. People merrily struck each other in signs of brotherhood and began to feast. Musicians were brought in and began to play. Some of the more rough and savage men began to get sensual with the woman right in the halls of the castle. Odin himself sat on the throne at the head of the hall, accenting to this joy and revelry. After all, he had just led the first victory. His horned helmet was discarded for the moment, and he bared his great, hard, bearded face to the crowd. He smiled and beckoned them on as his leaders smacked their breastplates. The fires were stoked and roaring. Torches were brought in with more food, and more and more ale was cracked open to celebrate this occasion.

Every soldier, from the greatest to the smallest, rejoiced now. Even the guards outside were reveling somewhat. They drank and ate some food, sneaking away and bringing it to their positions. The common people were out and rejoicing over victory. The children were laughing and dancing around. Happiness and victory echoed through the halls of Odin. Everything seemed perfect in this great stone castle. They were safe within its huge stone walls and gates, and victory had ensured no attack. It was a time for joy and merrymaking without a care in the world.

People were so happy, they didn't realize the change in the wind.

* * *

It was indeed on a day like this, when Bahamut felt his loathing and anger for humans grow, that Bahamut had sensed that spike. Tonight, he thought of something similar.

The evil of the ruin had not died. No…it persisted and did not fade with time. In fact, after a hundred years…it seemed to start drawing darkness to it again. Bahamut couldn't confirm that last part, but it was similar to what he had felt when he had first been aware of it. Not taking the chance, Bahamut had gone to the ruined building. But he found nothing. The evil was still there and unchanged, but the building was still rubble. Plants would not grow on it and allow it to be eroded further, but it was still empty. No one went near it. It was gone and dead. And yet…the evil would not fade.

The world felt different too. It remained changed, as Bahamut had sensed that one day. In fact, as time went on…he could almost feel it growing more dark…more stagnant…more foul. This feeling didn't lessen, but only got worse with time like a chronic ache. Over time, Bahamut had felt a source of this as well. It took centuries to pinpoint, but now he felt he knew its location.

The Four Crystals.

* * *

The Lufenian researcher frowned at the sight of the Wind Crystal. This latest change did not bode well. For nearly a thousand years now, they had been recording differences in it. The wavelength of light that it emitted had altered then. And since then, the wavelength seemed to be altering further with time. It appeared to be growing dimmer. The change was extremely gradual. To a casual observer, they wouldn't know it. But their instruments didn't lie. The Crystal was slowly fading.

Their best minds couldn't explain this…but could only confirm similar things happening to all Crystals. Not only that, but the sunlight hitting the world seemed to be dying as well. Its wavelength too was leveling off. There were decreases in the amount of microscopic life in the waters too. The winds were declining on average. The ground was having a decrease in nutrients. This problem continued to accelerate, and finally it could not be ignored. The Lufenians put their resources to work and tried to find the cause. But they could find nothing. The only thing that they could find, after centuries and centuries of work, was that this relatively young and unchanged planet…seemed to be dying. The researcher didn't even know if it was possible for worlds to die in the clinical sense, but that nevertheless seemed the effect.

Yet in the past few days, a development had happened. The Wind Crystal had altered. It suddenly began to flicker, as if the internal light within it was "burning out". The Lufenians didn't even understand what made it glow, but now it was fading. In fact, the effects of the wind speed dying down seemed to resonate with it, fading when the Crystal flickered. Yet this was not for nothing. As it happened, their researchers were able to trace a source of something…something that seemed to be feeding off the Wind Crystal. Maps and historical records confirmed the sight…the so-called "Temple of Chaos". This ruin had been destroyed by a local species a thousand years ago, shortly after similar phenomenon to what was happening slowly to the world now occurred. Of course, it was more pronounced then. But nevertheless, it was happening. And it seemed to be purposeful. Before, the Lufenians had thought that the structure had been the cause. Now they weren't so sure.

Hence, this was the mission. The Lufenian researcher turned back to the control room, away from the Crystal. Here, there were many other researchers working at separate consoles. They were all controlling various aspects of this latest "experiment". Ahead of them, on a great globe screen, loomed an image being projected from the ground. Audio was also being projected. Each of the Lufenians here were focusing on it and intrigued on what was going on. They had just dispatched five of their best warrior/researchers to this "Temple of Chaos". Their objective was to find the source of this disturbance and neutralize it. After all…if the Lufenians were ever to use this planet, then it had to be stopped before the planet was no longer of any utility.

Right now, the great globe showed an image of the ground. Ahead of the ground was the structure in question. It was still a great ruin, as it had been for a thousand years. And now, it loomed there in the night, open and waiting for the crew to come forward. The image shook slightly, as it was being projected by one of the researchers themselves.

_"Mission control."_ A metallic voice came over on loud speakers, resonating throughout the chamber. _"We have arrived at the Temple of Chaos. We are proceeding with the mission."_

"You have confirmation to proceed." The researcher simply replied, and then watched and waited as the camera image shifted, bounced, and began to move onward.

* * *

The Crystals had changed…somehow. Bahamut supposed he should have checked on them, but they were all but inaccessible now. The Lufenians had one, another was at the bottom of the sea, another was in the heart of a volcano, and the last was buried deep underground in caves Bahamut could not get too. But something was wrong about them.

If felt…almost as if all of this evil flying around in the air was eclipsing them… Bahamut wasn't sure if that was possible. But then again…as he thought on, he began to consider other factors. His memory wasn't too good of things from long ago, but there was another time that he had felt this much evil running around in the world. He shuddered to think of it, and he could almost hear Crusader's final words mocking him again as he thought of it…

The world…was feeling like it had under Griever.

* * *

A powerful blast erupted from the opposite side of the old, stone door. Smoke and light burst through the cracks. But then, the door creaked and groan, and flew open, pushed by the blast, and spilled the exterior glow into the chamber. Gray light from the outside pierced the inside of the chamber for the first time in a thousand years. And as it did, five bodies were framed inside the entrance of this new room. There was darkness for a moment, but then they adjusted equipment that they had, and lights came on and pierced the inner sanctum.

"Entering the sealed room." One commented. With that, he ducked into the entrance of the long sealed inner chamber of the Temple of Chaos. The others readily followed after him, and soon all wereentering into the chamber.

The air had grown still and colder the moment they went in. But the Lufenians didn't care. They swept their flashlights around the area and examined it none the less. They noticed that even the inner chamber was ruined and damaged from the blast from thousands of years ago. But the walls were still pretty much intact, and retained some of their dark glow. They walked in a short way, continuing to look up and down the columns and the formations in the chamber. They also pulled out small devices from their sides, which glowed with light and began to make beeping noises as they waved them around the chamber.

"Temperature has dropped ten degrees." One commented, shivering a bit as he did.

"Air microbe counts are down…to one tenth of their normal levels." Another spoke, a bit uneasily.

"Air circulation does not seem to apply in here. Even opening the door allowed no fresh air into the chamber." The third said.

"Interesting." The one in front, probably the leader, commented. "And what of the energy? Any of those signatures."

"…Fascinating." The fourth said after a moment, looking strangely at his instrument. "There is a pattern, moving through the walls and floor here…but it's unlike anything I've ever seen before."

"How so?" The leader immediately addressed.

"The energy current doesn't seem to be made up of energy per se…but rather a _lack_ of energy. It's like there is a void moving throughout the walls in here."

"The source?"

The man paused, but then looked up and motioned. "Dead ahead."

The leader hesitated a moment, but then continued forward. Two of the Lufenians hesitated, but they soon followed the others. They tried to remember that this was all scientific. There were no such things as ghosts, after all. At least, only in a pure energy collective sense. But they were still uneasy as they ventured on. They didn't have to go far though, before they came to their destination.

There was a sort of stone throne on the ground. But it didn't look as if it was meant for any seating. Instead, it seemed to hold one particular object that could fit into it. It was a dark, gleaming orb. It shone out through the darkness as especially dark. As the Lufenians looked at it…they felt cold and uneasy. Even the bravest ones felt something drain them within. The surface was smooth and perfect, but the stone itself was empty and black. It looked like a void in space just to stare at it, though it couldn't be that big. Its darkness stood out even in the darkness of the chamber. However, the leader shone a light on it, and to his surprise…the light seemed to vanish into the stone, as if it really was a gateway into darkness.

"…What in the world is that thing?"

* * *

Bahamut had come to a realization over the years. He knew what the Four Fiends were after many years of thought and consideration. They, in fact, had been evoked from the Crystal itself. But why that was so was a bit more difficult. The reason was Griever himself. The being had grown so evil…dominated so much of the world with his wickedness…that the Crystal itself had become eclipsed. Its light nature had turned to dark in his grasp, and had become shadow. When that happened, the Four Fiends were evoked from its shadow.

But that brought a new fear to Bahamut's mind. If such was indeed the case…that evil resonating throughout the world was what caused these monsters to appear…then could the evil of men do the same? Could their own wickedness grow so large that it could evoke them? And if so…how much time before it happened?

Bahamut swallowed at this thought…as the sky overhead began to rumble and turn.

* * *

"I repeat, what is the object?"

_"A…A stone, sir. It appears to have been a man-made device, but we have no records of any humans ever building such a thing. It…it appears to be the source of the disturbance."_

After saying that, the screen suddenly snapped in static again. The leader frowned at this. It had been acting up since they entered that chamber. It was getting hard to see. He turned to one of the control people with a frown. "Can't you clear that up?"

"Sorry, sir. But it's an external phenomenon." The Lufenian simply replied, not looking up. "We're already almost boosted to maximum."

At that, one of the men said something. But his voice was swallowed in static, and the screen went fuzzy for a moment. In the flickering screen, it seemed as if the view was going closer to the stone. The Lufenian leader looked up and scowled, and then yelled out again. "Repeat, Mission Leader! I didn't copy!"

_"…aid…recover a sample…stone…"_ The screen came on again for a moment, watching the view grow closer to the stone.

The leader sighed. "Mission Leader, the closer you get to that object, the less we can see and understand. Please pull back for instruction."

The view continued to flicker and static, getting worse as the image got closer to the stone. The leader frowned and scowled. "Mission Leader!"

One of the Lufenians shook his head, and looked behind him. "No use, sir. That thing is blocking out our communication transmissions. Its disrupting all communications."

"Our instrument ratings are breaking down too." Another one sighed.

"I'm losing a fix on their life readings." Another one added.

The leader rolled his eyes. This was a fine mess. Some damn article from this Planet was causing so much trouble. It might be useful to research, but not if it caused this much disturbance. Knowing full well it was useless, the leader nevertheless sighed and spoke again, louder. "Mission Leader! Fall back! That's an order!"

The entire image waved now, and went out as the man finally reached the stone. The audio garbled and sparked as he said something, but they couldn't make it out. The image was dead too, and soon all of Mission Control was lost. The leader Lufenian was about to curse at this…when something came through.

_"…rd surf…impen…ait! …There's some sort of…action…"_

One of the Lufenians frowned. "Sir, it's getting too bad down there. The disturbance seems to be affecting our machinery as well!"

The leader turned down and glared at the Lufenian. "What? That's impossible. We're nowhere near it."

"It's almost as if the disturbance is going through their machinery and into ours…" Another commented.

The leader frowned. "Deal with it!" He snapped, and then looked back up. "Mission Leader! Pull away now!"

The screen flickered on just long enough to show hands touching the crystal, before vanishing again. Somehow, however, the sound came on clear one more time.

_"…peat, a reaction in the substance…seems like a light…hining in its darkness… Wait…there's something else…there's a new reaction…It…it…huh…ahh…AUGHHH!"_

The Lufenians went totally silent, and stopped working with their own disrupting machinery…as a bloodcurdling scream suddenly erupted from the speakers. It lasted only a few moments…and sounded worse than death agony…before it vanished into static. The Lufenians went white. They didn't move a muscle. The leader's eyes went wide, his anger gone, as he stared ahead. He blinked for a few moments, but then tentatively leaned down and spoke again.

"M…Mission Leader?"

There was nothing but static for a moment.

But then, in a flash…the entire station went dark.

All equipment stopped. All lights went out. The room was plunged into blackness, save for the dim light from the Crystal. The leader's face immediately went into rage…although he now had a feeling of fear. The air…had grown colder, and stiller. It was almost as if…this place was turning into the one down there. But he refused to be scared, even as he heard the Lufenians around him go silent, no doubt feeling the same thing he did. Still, in the darkness, he gave an order.

"What happened now!"

"…Power…the power system has gone down."

"How?"

"I don't know…all instruments are dead. It's like that disturbance went through the machinery to us!"

"I told you that's impossible! Now get this damn room back online!"

"…The…the Wind Crystal…"

The leader turned, as did the rest of the Lufenians, and looked to the Crystal at the sound of that. As they did, what they saw was similar to someone slowly turning the knob on a dimming light. The already somewhat dark green glow of the Wind Crystal grew darker. It faded rapidly now, and soon it vanished all together. As it did, the only source of light in the room vanished completely. The whole area was plunged into darkness.

Not a sound was uttered. All were silent. The Mission Leader stared through the total blackness to where the Crystal was. So…it had gone out all together. But for some reason…the fact that an artifact of this planet had suddenly stopped operating all together…terrified him. He blinked and stared into the empty darkness longer.

"…What…is happening?"

Then something happened that no one expected.

An answer came out of the blackness back.

_"Gruuuugh..."_

The Lufenians turned white in the darkness. Their eyes went wide. Fear grasped their hearts. They heard something...something big...and not Lufenian or human. It snarled through the chamber and then died down again, but they could hear from the echo that it was filling the entire area where the Crystal was. For a moment, no one dared say a word. They only stared forward into the darkness and froze in horror. At last, the silence was broken by some sensation of movement in front of the Crystal area. After that, however, there was a scrambling nearby as someone plunged into their console and looked for something.

"My...my flashlight... I need my flash-"

_"BURREEEH!"_

Mission Control leader froze in terror as he felt distinctly hot, moist breath wash over him. He sensed something coming closer to him, and the ground was shaking as it drew nearer and nearer. His mind forgot about the mission. His bravery left him. He began to stagger back. As he did, the Lufenian behind him finally got out his light. He fumbled with it and flickered with it, before it finally came on. For a moment, a stream of light shot up and illuminated the terrified face of the Lufenian, before he put it back down and aimed it at the noise.

There was a flash of light for the briefest moment on a large, blue reptilian head, teeth flashing and bared, and mouth dripping with drool as it loomed over the Mission Control leader. Then, in a flash, that disappeared as that jaw clamped down on the Lufenian's head, and an explosion of blood and bone went everywhere.

The monster became invisible as the Lufenian dropped his flashlight, and soon the entire chamber was filled with terrified screams as the monster bellowed and began its rampage.

* * *

At that moment, it happened.

The sky had been rumbling and churning until now, growing dark and ominous. Bahamut had noticed this, but had dismissed it as just another growing storm. However, that soon vanished. His head turned to the sky and his eyes widened in sudden surprise and shock. But it wasn't because the wind had suddenly gone into a storm. It wasn't due to an explosion of dark power. It wasn't even due to the sudden dark feeling he felt in the sky...or the dark feeling from deep within his soul that this feeling was familiar. It wasn't the presence of something that scared him...

It was the lack.

The wind suddenly died.

* * *

In the castle of Odin, the revelry and cheer continued to go on within the castle. People rejoiced and clashed mugs of ale while feasting on roast animals. However, the atmosphere had changed outside, on the highest watches. Lower guards were still making merry as well, but the higher guards, drunk as they were becoming, hesitated. They had sensed a storm coming until now. The air was turning dark and windy. However, that had stopped now. Instead, they now sensed that the wind had suddenly died. It had happened in an instant. It wasn't a gradual drop off. It was a sudden dying. The men looked up to their banners and saw it confirmed. The flags had suddenly dropped. The fires and torches suddenly calmed and died down, seeming to no longer be fed by the wind. The men saw this, and despite their joy...immediately grew apprehensive.

The apprehension was soon justified. Abruptly, one of the men called out and pointed to the black sky. The others looked, and soon saw a burst of flame erupt in the night, far away. Moments later, a massive ripple of fierce wind struck the entire castle. The banners were fanned violently again, but this time were either ripped off or their masts broken. The gale struck the men at the watch, and some were nearly thrown off of their places. The wind went in and penetrated the castle, traveling all the way to the interior. The great hall, rejoicing gloriously a moment earlier, was suddenly thrown into confusion. Drink was knocked over. Torches were thrown and some were cast down, forcing people to break off their rejoicing and quickly put them out. Others had their clothing and dress thrown up, and were nearly thrown aside. The animals suddenly began to quiver in terror. The dogs barked in fear at the night, while sticking their tails between their legs. The horses began to bray and buck wildly. The wind seemed to be stagnant and ill as it swept through the area, and soon fear was settling on everyone.

Odin, however, did not stay down long. On sensing this, his full commanding presence stood to its full height. Without fear or quivering, he called out the orders. The front gate was to be locked and barred. Men were to go to arms and the watch was to be doubled. He himself took up his great horned helmet and prepared to go out and see firsthand what had transpired. Rumors quickly began to circulate as the men went about his orders. They were made brave by Odin's commanding presence, but fear still lingered within them. Some began to say that a new type of black wizard had appeared to bring fear and a curse upon the castle. Others said it was some demonic force coming at them. Still others thought it was a bad omen, saying that their enemy was retaliating. Yet they all had less fear than before. They withstood the danger, and did as commanded.

The main gate was closed. The portcullis was lowered and the drawbridge lifted. Timbers were brought to reinforce it as well, and iron bars were put across the gate. Extra quivers were given to the guards on the wall, and the army assembled itself before the fortified castle gate. Armor was replaced and weapons drawn, and soon the whole host was ready to confront whatever new terror there was in the night. However, the wind had died again. And now, everyone saw that the wind had totally died. There wasn't so much as a breeze on the air. Sound seemed weak...and even the booming call of Odin seemed drowned out somewhat. That their king could be so affected put more fear into the hearts of the people, but they stood their ground and waited.

As the silence continued, only the sound of the powerful Odin's footsteps rang out as he, now fully armed, walked up the wall face and to the topmost tower himself. When he reached there, he turned and faced the exterior of the night and glared out at it. One soldier began to talk to him, informing him of all that had transpired until now.

But the people below soon lost interest in that. They focused instead on something over the wall. There was a red light growing there, and it was glowing like a fire. The soldiers turned to this, and soon Odin did as well. He glared a moment at the unseen fire, and then drew his sword. The rest of the men, far below in the castle walls, drew their own weapons and hefted their shields in front of themselves. As they did, they watched the light grow stronger. It burned morebrightly with time, turning to orange and yellow. It definitely looked like a fire now, as if a great fire had broken out on the other side of the wall. The men didn't falter, although sweat was appearing on their brows. Some began to shake. They didn't like this. First the loss of wind, and now an unearthly fire coming toward them. Their weapons and armor clittered together and their palms grew sweaty.

Suddenly, they saw a new change. Odin stood his ground, but the other tower guards began to lower their weapons. Their faces melted into fear, and they began to step back. Some dropped their weapons all together. Another, in backing up, backed right over the edge of the tower. He was so stunned, he didn't even scream as he fell to his death. The rest of the people began to look panicked at this. Their eyes filled with mounting terror. Their stomachs began to turn. Their hearts shuddered as they looked toward the reinforced gate and waited...

The fear suddenly erupted into terror, however, when it struck.

A massive explosion suddenly oblitered the entire gate and front wall, sending flaming stone, iron, and wood flying everywhere for miles.

* * *

_Impossible..._

Bahamut shot to his feet as if he had been struck. It felt like another cold knife had been driven into his chest. He had felt...that feeling. That same icy blackness as he had sensed a thousand years earlier. It was weaker than before...and even felt as if it was more...specific, if that was possible. But it was back. It had become concentrated again, and it emerged back into the world with a signature any esper could feel. Only this time, it was no longer passive. It wasn't simply a trace of energy existing and growing more black and evil.

It was lashing out. And it was attacking Odin's castle.

"Bahamut..."

The great dragon thought he had heard Leviathan's voice. But whether he had or not he didn't care. He didn't have time for it. No doubt, his brother had felt the darkness returning, but Bahamut couldn't waste anymore time. He had to deal with it now, before it lashed out and destroyed something else. He had to stop this darkness again...and find out how it had managed to survive and be restored after all these years. In a flash, he had unfurled his wings and had taken off for the Northern Continent. This time, he put everything he had into the flight...and hoped he could stop whatever this was.

It felt familiar...too familar...

* * *

Bahamut had plenty to think about along the way. He sensed more life as he drew closer...human lives. One by one...or occasionally in huge groups...they were winking out. Something was oblitering them left and right. Bahamut knew it had to be the dark energy. Yet for all the death it caused, it didn't weaken at all. It seemed totally tireless. Its power kept exploding too, no doubt destroying something else. But the energy never diminished. As he continued to sense it, he eventually traced people fleeing from the dark source. Many of them were chased down...and obliterated. But others did escape. In the heart of it all, he saw that Odin's power continued to resonate and not fade, even as his subjects were winked out one by one. Bahamut knew that his kingdom wasn't isolated to here. This was his main castle, but it wasn't his only castle. The entire continent was owned by him. Nevertheless, this was going to be a horrible loss for him...assuming he or his people survived.

At last, he sensed Odin's power unleashed. The esper exploded to full strength. Bahamut pushed himself harder at this, wanting to join up sooner to help. He sensed the fight unfold, and sensed Odin unleash his entire repitoire of powerful attacks against this monstrous thing. And yet, to Bahamut's shock, the dark force did not fade. It didn't even weaken. But Odin did. Eventually, he ran out of power. And when he did, this dark force jumped on him and began to beat him down further. Bahamut pushed himself harder and harder, hoping to get there in time. He feared the dark power would destroy him. However, there had to be some sense in Odin at this point, because somehow he managed to get away, likely due to Slepnir. For one reason or another, this dark power decided to let him flee. But Bahamut kept pushing himself, fear growing now. Odin had escaped, but what monster could take him on and not grow weak? He had been almost certain that Odin's own power had actually _excelled_ that of the dark power, yet he still lost... Bahamut was growing afraid at this. The power did seem familiar...too familiar...and it was starting to scare him that he couldn't think of it. One thing was certain. It was evil and craved death. If it was left unchecked, it would destroy the entire human race...

_But... _A dark thought rippled through his head. _Would that be a bad thing?_

Bahamut was shocked and puzzled that he had thought that, however. Quickly, he shook it out of his head, and pressed on.

At long last, Bahamut reached the site. Even from a distance, he saw that the castle was now in flames, but somehow it was still standing. Odin had built it well. Bahamut quickly surveyed the area. Few humans were left alive there. 99 percent were dead or dying who were still there. As for the remainder, he could sense them deep within the burning castle, somehow still trying to stave off the assault of the dark force. Odin's assault had given them their only chance to escape, but they had either been unable or unwilling to do so. Now, the dark entity was leaping on them, and their lives were rapidly being smashed.

Bahamut quickly swept down and alit in the burning courtyard. Fire and smoke was nothing to him. The moment he touched down, however, he regarded the area around him with a sense of fear. The place had been annihilated. The wall had been smashed into bits. Bodies were laying everywhere, bloody and broken into pieces, many of them ripped...or chewed. The people hadn't had a chance against this force. Signs of large slashes and explosions indicated Odin's fight, but there wasn't so much as a drop of blood from the creature. The entire grounds were on fire, and many of the humans were burning. He turned his attention to the castle next. What he soon saw was that the front gate was open to the main hall. He sensed movement within it, but could see nothing. Moments later, half of a still-living human torso was flung outside of the opening and out into the night air. Thankfully, it died soon after. But the esper felt his anger aroused. Quickly, he shot forward into the chamber, disregarding the fire and smoke that surrounded it as he charged inside.

Heat and foul air surrounded him. It seemed as if the air had grown even more poisonous as he had entered. However, he ignored this and focused on the sight before him. For the first time, he could make out its features.

The thing was a sickly green color. Its body was draconian in shape, with two arms, two legs, and a long tail. However, it was more stocky in the torso, showcasing that it had more to support. Instead of wings, the monstrous beast had six ferocious heads. Apparently, they all had their own consciousness as well. Two of them were feasting on the flesh of two soldiers. Two more of them were ripping apart a third as they fought over the carcass. Another breathed flames to further decimate the castle. The final snarled and looked in front of it. However, when Bahamut appeared, the head suddenly froze. It was aware of his presence.

Bahamut glared at the creature darkly, and braced himself for a fight. No doubt, this monstrous thing was the source of the destruction and evil.

"Turn around and show your face to me, unclean beast." Bahamut challenged.

In response to that, the creature seemed to smile and kept its head turned away. The other heads, seeming to realize his presence, spat out the "food" in their mouths and reacted as well. Slowly, the first head turned and looked around to Bahamut. Looking at it, Bahamut felt a cold ripple. A long buried memory was brought out from within...and he felt nervous. That face...was so familiar...but he couldn't remember it...

"Hmph." The thing's head spoke. "Why Bahamut, don't you remember us?"

The esper reacted to this, and his bold face turned to some puzzlement. "You...recognize me?"

Another head turned and addressed him with that same wicked smile and look. "Of course we recognize you."

"We've thought of nothing else but you for millenia..." A third answered as it turned.

"We've wanted revenge so badly..." Another spoke coolly and slowly, its voice laced with maliciousness.

"We've wanted to see your blood flow and your world die..." The fifth sneered.

"And now, we can see it happen." The last spoke as it turned, along with the body this time. The monstrous thing now faced Bahamut. The esper felt a cold feeling as it turned and towered over him. It was easily twice his size. And each head danced slowly in front of him like a cobra waiting to strike. They all sneered and looked wicked and bloodthirsty. And he couldn't do the same. If he looked one in the eye, five others could stare at him from different angles. He felt very nervous, but dared not show it. He was too preoccupied with wondering why this thing knew him. No doubt, he realized, they had met before...but he couldn't remember from where.

"...Who are you?" He finally asked.

The heads sneered and giggled at this.

"Don't know?"

"Such a bad memory..."

"Or perhaps you just dismissed us so easily..."

"Arrogant little wretch."

"Thought we were so easily to kill before..."

"Now look at us!"

Bahamut didn't like this. The heads were stretched out so that if he wanted to follow them, he had to constantly shift his head to look at each of them speaking. If he looked forward, it was like a mocking crowd was surrounding him and speaking to him. It unsettled him. He noticed that if he looked at one head, the others spoke while that one remained silent. It gave the illusion of a crowd of opposition...or phantom voices assaulting him, giving the thing an illusion of more power than it already had. Nevertheless, the thing continued.

"Odin recognized us quickly..."

"You should have seen the look on his face!"

"Wasn't expecting us, he wasn't..."

"He had improved..."

"Yes, much."

"But not good enough."

"Oh no, not at all."

"But nothing is good enough anymore."

"We enjoyed beating him down."

"We let him go, you know."

"We want to torture him again."

"And again..."

"And again..."

"As we turn his kingdom to dust!"

"And he watches!"

"You have to watch too, Bahamut!"

"Yes, yes!"

"As we destroy all you love!"

"Yes, _yes!_"

Bahamut grit his teeth and lost his temper. He had taken enough. "Shut up!" He bellowed at all of them at once. Their chorus of taunting died, and their heads receeded a little, but they continued to grin wickedly at the esper. He snarled and looked at all of their heads, his teeth clenched and his face angry. "Who are you already? What are you? I know you from somewhere...but..."

"Still don't know?" They began to taunt again, grinning wickedly all the while.

"Why don't you look closer?"

"Don't focus on the body."

"Look hard at our faces."

"Feel our anger."

"Remember its source."

"We want you to know, after all..."

Bahamut scowled, but the heads went silent. He looked at the first laughing head, staring right at him. He glared at it hatefully and cold. At first, he was just angry at the look on its wicked, evil face. He said nothing for a few moments, and looked harder at it. Finally, he did as he was told. He reached out his senses. He focused on the creature's mind and stared hard into its blackness. It was evil...wicked...almost drowning out everything else. To even sense it made the esper unsettled. But he looked harder, focusing into it and looking for some sanity or memory within it. He saw nothing for a long time. He couldn't grasp any of its nature in all of this chaos.

But then...something came out...resonating within his own memory.

He saw...himself...much, much younger...and saw a blast of light from himself as he felt the creature's anger and rage at its own destruction...

It's last defiant cry that Bahamut would never beat Griever...

Bahamut's boldness evaporated. His eyes widened in shock and fear. His wings went down and his hands began to falter. He took a step back from the huge monster, as it continued to laugh and grin at him. It looked down on him now, raising its six heads to glare down on its ancient foe.

"No..." Bahamut slowly exhaled. "It...it can't be possible... It can't be you..."

"Oh, but it is."

"We told you."

"You'll never defeat us."

"We weren't lying."

"You can never kill us."

"We are beyond death or life."

Bahamut could only blink in astonishment, as he let the fateful, ancient name tumble out of his mouth.

"...T...Tiamat?"

* * *

To be continued...


	15. The Age of Chaos Begins

Piccolo Sky's Quote-for-the-Day: "Ray...if someone asks you if you're a god, you say, _'YES'!_"

* * *

"Ah."

"You remember now."

"Surprised to see us?"

Bahamut couldn't grasp it. It was impossible. There was no way that Tiamat could have been revived. Only Phoenix had the power, and her magicite was safe and tucked away. Even if it wasn't, Bahamut had oblierated the creature's body. Only ash was left.

"There wasn't anything of you left to revive..." Bahamut exhaled.

At this, the heads laughed evilly. Their noise was cruel to the ear and loud and booming. Three of the heads tipped back and sounded loudly. The others merely glared evilly at Bahamut and laughed long and loud. They kept doing so without explaining themselves. Theymocked the esper, as if insulting all of his attempts to kill them. As this went on, Bahamut felt his astonishment leave. His anger began to grow instead. His hands balled back into fists. He sneered at the thing, but it only continued to laugh and mock him. The esper glared in fury at it, and decided he had taken enough. As Tiamat continued to laugh, he began to summon his power inside him. There was no sun, but his Mega-pyrin had grown more than strong enough to kill Tiamat a hundred times over. He could sense that even its evil wouldn't withstand this. It was time to destroy this monster.

Finally, as Tiamat continued to laugh, Bahamut opened his mouth, exposing the burning ball of light within. _"MEGA-PYRIN!"_

The Fiend of Air continued to laugh as the huge blast erupted from Bahamut's mouth. Huge red balls of light soon struck the monster in its central head, and erupted immediately. A huge explosion tore through the castle, so strong that Bahamut was forced backward from the blast. But he continued to focus, and bombarded the creature with more orbs of burning energy. One by one, they struck the monster and exploded. One by one, the huge fiery blasts tore through the creature. Fire and heat rocked it, blasting into its flesh and searing its very blood.The monster's laughter was swallowed up into the sounds of fire and destruction.

Finally, however, it died down. The chamber filled with more fire and smoke than ever, but it managed to dissipate somewhat. Bahamut staggered back a bit more, feeling soreness in his neck and mouth. It had been generations since he had done that attack, and he was severely out of practice. However, he had managed to focus it much more intensely than before. Otherwise the whole castle might have fallen down. As it was, Tiamat was the sole recipient of the attack. He breathed a bit heavily from that move, a bit tired out from performing it. However, ahead of him, he watched the smoke clear, and was satisfied with his results.

A black, bloody stump was all that was left of Tiamat. The entire upper torso and six heads had been totally vaporized. The tail and the legs continued to stand, but that was all. The laughter still echoed, but it was fading quickly. The monster was gone. Bahamut glared at this, and exhaled one last time to get his breath back. It was over. That thing had talked big, and sadly had done a great deal of damage, but it was gone now. The only problem that Bahamut could see was why Odin hadn't been able to destroy it. Considering how easy that had been, it must have been much weaker than Odin. One Gunge Lance would have done it. But it was no matter. The thing was gone. Bahamut prepared to turn and leave...

...until the esper noticed something, causing him to wheel back around to the monster.

Its power hadn't changed.

It hadn't lost any energy.

"What the...?" The esper began to remark.

However, that remark was swallowed in a gasp of surprise, as the monster's top suddenly bulged. To Bahamut's shock, the tail and legs began to move again. Then, in a sound of twisting sinews, muscles, and gushing blood, the monster's blasted torso began to invert and cover, like the stump of a tree that had a limb cut off begins to grow over itself and cover it with bark. Only this happened with scales and flesh, and worked much quicker. To Bahamut's horror, once it was covered, it began to bulge and elongate, and the torso began to reappear. Soon, two shafts of flesh erupted from the center of the former stump. These shafts turned out to be arms, and as the stump continued to elongate and flesh seemed to pour out of the center, the two arms shifted back into their former position. Finally, the top of the stump bulged, and held for a brief moment. In a flash of blood it suddenly exploded...and to Bahamut's surprise the six heads on each of their six long necks came out and fixed themselves back in position. They paused only a moment...but then looked up and grinned evilly at Bahamut.

"Miss us?" They all asked together.

Bahamut was speechless. There was no way they could have survived that assault. However, he didn't hesitate long. Soon after, he spun around and swung his tail at the six new heads of Tiamat. It smashed into two heads, but when it reached the third, the neck coiled out and curved inward, stopping the tail cold. The monster retorted with swinging its own fist at Bahamut. The esper quickly extended his own hand and clenched the fist as it came to his head...but a moment later the monster simply drove another head forward and smashed it into Bahamut's face. The esper soon went flying backward from the blow, staggering in pain. However, he righted himself soon after, and stopped his body in mid flight. He looked forward and glared at the beast.

"You're weaker than me. You can't win." He told the monster.

Tiamat merely began his wicked laugh again.

"Can't we?"

"Your puny brother spouted similar nonsense."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"You don't have to be stronger..."

"...When you're immortal!"

Bahamut sneered, and quickly shot forward again at the monster. As he reached it, he quickly swung one of his claws in a chopping shape at one of the creature's necks. It connected, and immediately he heard the vertebrae snap in the neck of the beast. Its head bent to one side limply. However, to Bahamut's surprise, the monster grinned and brought up another head to fire off a Pyron at point-blank range. Bahamut soon was sent flying off of Tiamat with another explosion. As he did, the monster brought up an arm and merely snapped his head back into place. Bahamut, on his part, soon got up, and quickly braced himself to attack again. But Tiamat didn't give the chance. The monster lowered two of its heads, and spat off a pair of Pyrons right at the dragon esper. Bahamut's eyes widened to see these coming, but he merely gave a yell and punched. His fist connected with both Pyrons at once, and detonated them. After that, Bahamut shot forward through the explosions and fire to attack again. But right before he could attack the monster again, Tiamat spat out two more Pyrons. Bahamut, who had twisted around to drive his feet right at the monster, connected with them, and another explosion soon sent him flying back. Moments later, he righted himself again and landed on the ground. He huffed and puffed now, and sweat was forming on his brow.

"You're out of shape, Bahamut." The thing mocked.

"You don't get it yet, do you?"

"Odin refused to understand either."

"You're wasting your energy trying to kill us."

"Your power will fade..."

"...While our power never decreases."

"Your injuries will add up..."

"...While ours heal instantly."

"Your loss is inevitable."

"Your strength is irrelevant."

"In the end, you are mortal."

Bahamut grit his teeth. He was furious at this thing, while at the same time realizing it was right. He was not only out of shape and practice, but he was getting weaker while Tiamat remained unchanged. Somehow, the thing wasn't losing any power. And it wasn't taking any lasting damage either. But how was this possible? Why was it suddenly this strong? What had even made it return? Bahamut sneered and rose to his feet again, preparing himself for another attack. But instead of doing so, he yelled out to the monster.

"How are you doing this? How did you even come back?"

The heads laughed at this in response. They seemed to have been waiting for this answer, and grinned on hearing Bahamut talk of it. They seemed to be all too eager to inform him, and were plotting some wickedness with the answer.

"You really want to know?"

"Very well."

"In truth, it's your fault, Bahamut."

The esper's face turned to shock again at this. "What?" He answered, his tone in such disbelief that he couldn't be shocked. "That's a lie. I did nothing to revive you. I'd just have soon see you burn in hell."

Tiamat merely grinned back wickedly. "You're a fool. You were a fool when we met you, and you haven't improved much."

"After all these years, you still don't understand the nature of the Crystal. Or Crystals. Whatever you like to call them."

"What nature!" Bahamut demanded. "Make some sense!"

This only made the Fiend of Air more amused. However, he didn't taunt any longer. He spoke with a malicious glee.

"We were evoked from the dark side of the Crystal."

"The Crystal can take on a light or dark nature, depending on the hearts and nature of those who 'eclipse' it, so to speak."

"Griever had powerful evil in him. His evil overshadowed the whole world and the Crystal with it, and changed its nature to darkness."

"We, the Four Fiends of the Elements, were born out of that darkness...living representations of the dark side of nature."

"But you and your brethern destroyed both us and Griever..."

"You removed the darkness that covered the world, and threw the balance back to light. Because of that, the Crystals became light, and we faded away."

"But..."

"You left the potential for great evil alive on this world..."

Bahamut sneered again at the monster. He didn't know what it was talking about, but he had left no evil. He had disposed of Griever's magicite. He had seen Hades and Ark rubbed out, and had destroyed that dark temple as well. He had fought an endless battle against wickedness in the world. For a moment, he was about to demand the monster tell him what evil he had left. He would accuse them to tell him what monster still lived...

But even as he opened his mouth to speak...he changed. His eyes softened again. His anger vanished. A great fear sank into his soul, and his mouth slackened and collapsed. The final words of Griever echoed in his mind again. He grew silent, and a horrible, pervasive fear filled him.

No...it couldn't be true. It couldn't be possible. They...they had good in them... They had the potential for it... The world had grown bad...very bad...very, very bad... But certainly...it couldn't be...it couldn't possibly have gotten as bad as it was under Griever! It couldn't have gotten that evil and horrible!

...Could it have?

It wasn't true... It was impossible... It had to be! This couldn't be...

"Those precious humans you loved so much..." Tiamat taunted, driving icy cold daggers deep into Bahamut's soul.

"You thought they were so good and kind..."

"You loved them so pathetically..."

"We warned you about them."

"But you wouldn't believe us."

"Now...their evil has grown beyond Griever's!"

"They have turned this world into one of darkness!"

"Their hate and wickedness has unbalanced the Crystals..."

"...And we have returned to rule the world again!"

Bahamut's eyes were wide with fear. He glared at the monster. However, he clenched his mouth, and shook his head. "No...no, that's not true..."

"Believe it, fool!" One mocked in glee.

"Even Griever's evil was too little to totally eclipse the Crystals!"

"But the evil of the humans..."

"Concentrated and reinforced..."

"It has been enough to turn the Crystals completely dark."

"Their light will never return."

"Their darkness is now eternal."

"And because of that..."

"...We will live _forever!_"

_"And it's all thanks to you!"_

Bahamut's eyes filled with terror. Crusader rang out through his head. It joined the rest of his fears, doubts, and growing hatred of humanity. Now, they all danced around inside his head as the monster before him continued to laugh hideously. Bahamut was horrified. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. His head bowed in shock and defeat. The heat and smoke seemed to press in on him from all sides, and everywhere there was mocking and taunting for years. It couldn't be true...it just couldn't be...

And yet, he knew it wasn't. The evil he had felt...all that there was to feed it was humanity. Years had passed...centuries... But they continued to grow more wicked. With nothing to restrain them, their evil continued to swell and grow. Their sins and darkness had become oppressive and loathesome to all espers. And yet they only continued. Love was being beaten down daily. Thoughts of honor and justice were fading. Now, all any thought of was selfish evil and gain. Neither Gilgamesh nor Odin had stopped this. It had just continued on and on...growing along with dark creatures, dark dragons, and structures like the Temple of Chaos. Nothing would restrain this reckless evil and wanton destruction. Humanity had grown so corrupted...so impure since Palad. They bore no trace of the innocence he once had. They were sickening perversions...wretched beings that Bahamut had wanted to wipe out centuries earlier, before they had grown even worse... He realized in terror and horror that Tiamat was right. It was their evil. The whole time...their growing evil had done these monstrous things and had been boiling over to bring a return of darkness. Now, the world was slipping back into darkness...and it was all because of their evil. They were consuming all life with it...and now they had unleashed the powers of chaos themselves. Never...never had he dreamt that the humans would grow so wicked...but they had grown even more so. They brought back the destructors...the monsters that Bahamut and his family had fought and died to free them from. The light they had worked so hard to win for them...they had rejected it in favor of darkness. And now, if Tiamat truly spoke the truth...if their very evil had turned the Crystals...then the Planet itself would...

Abruptly, Bahamut's anger returned. His sadness and shock faded, and he glared up hatefully at the laughing face of Tiamat. He bellowed only one word of rage before shooting forward at the thing once again.

"NO!"

Before Tiamat could prepare any type of defense, Bahamut was on him. He tackled the massive creature and unloaded on him. His claws slashed down again and again, and his fists pounded the flesh of all six heads. Black blood flew everywhere. Bones crushed and splintered in his hands. Flesh and juice was thrown off and flung everywhere. Devouring fire poured from his mouth and roasted the flesh of Tiamat again and again, as he continued to rip and tear without any relenting or mercy. He wanted it to stop laughing. He wanted it to stop being so smug. He wanted it to feel pain. He wanted it to suffer in terror. He wanted the thing to just die...die...DIE!

And as he struck it...he realized he began to see the faces of every filthy, loathesome, disgusted specimen of human he had ever seen in his life. He bashed these in. He tore them off and crushed them. He hated them all...wanted them all dead. They were killing the Planet. They were killing his mother. They spat in his face after all he had done for him. Their evil was perverting the natural order of all things, and still they would not stop! He had suffered so much for them, and still they continued! He tore through more and more faces, until the evil ones vanished and regular humans as well began to put themselves on his face. But they faded too...for even the evil had come from good ancestors. Yet they didn't make their children better. Their existence meant the birth of evil humans later. Their race was poisoned. They were all wicked. They all had evil in their hearts. They were a cancer...destructive no matter how much good they had. Their evil would always win...would twist the world... They were all guilty...all horrible...all worthy of death...

And at the peak of his anger...Bahamut saw Palad's own face on Tiamat's.

He paused only a moment...before he drove his fist forward and smashed every bone in the skull.

_Traitor..._

That was the last blow he could get in. After that, Tiamat's fist came up and abruptly struck Bahamut in his own face. The blow was powerful and focused enough to send the esper flying off of the Fiend's body, and sent him flying backward across the chamber once again. He soon landed, and the Fiend of Air quickly twisted and stood up once again. His six heads grinned again at the fallen esper as he rose up and began to mock him once again.

"Oh, don't waste your energy on trying to kill us."

"We don't want the fun all to ourselves, after all."

"Our brethren will be coming back soon enough."

"They want a piece of you as well."

Bahamut exhaled. The fury in his mind died down somewhat, but he was still full of anger. He hated the Fiend more than anything now...and hated that he couldn't destroy it. At any rate, Tiamat went on.

"Don't be so worried yet, Bahamut..."

"What's the wind, after all?"

"Birds will be grounded."

"High altitude plants will die."

"Ships won't be able to move."

"Nothing that good."

"Of course, we will be able to cause destruction."

"And the other elements will continue to die..."

"But just wait for another 600 years to go by..."

Bahamut's eyes opened a bit at this. "Why? What happens in 600 years?"

Tiamat grinned in delight.

"Why Bahamut, that's when the water will turn fetid."

"And that's when Kraken will return."

"Then all the fish will die..."

"People will drink poison..."

"Plants will begin to wilt..."

"And the rain will stop."

"Give it another 600 years, and all fire will turn cold as Kary returns."

"Eternal night will cover the earth."

"...And the world will turn to ice."

"And in the final round of 600 years, Lich will finally return."

"Then the earth will totally rot..."

"...And turn to lifeless rock."

"In the end, the Planet will be a lifeless wasteland."

"There won't be one human left."

"Or any esper for that matter."

"After all, there's no need to do this all at once."

"We may as well drag it out for a very, very long time!"

The Fiend of Air began to laugh hideously again at this. Bahamut could only stare. The shock was still settling in. The anger of everything that had happened...and this latest bit of information... He could barely fathom it. All of this...it had been happening right under their nose and he hadn't even been aware of it. And now, he realized the horrible truth. He realized this thing wasn't lying. He was really going to do all of this. All he had said was the truth...and there was nothing he could do anymore. He couldn't destroy it. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't do anything...and it was all because of the evil of mankind. They had brought this on themselves and now it was going to kill everything... It was going to destroy the very planet itself.

"So what will you do, Bahamut?"

"Will you attack now?"

"Or will you wait for us to kill you?"

"Or do you want to wait for the Planet to rot to nothing around you?"

Bahamut glared at him. He wanted to do something else, but he couldn't. Right now, his mind was too awash with anger and fury. Too much confusion was going through it. He couldn't focus. He needed time to sort things out. He needed time to think harder. And right now...he didn't even care if an entire continent worth of humans died during his absence. He glared one last time at Tiamat, but then reacted.

In a flash, the esper turned around and took off. He shot back out the way he came, and then rocketed back into the sky. As he left and went back into the smoky night, the hideous laughing of the monster rang in his ears for miles.

* * *

"This...this is impossible..."

That was all that a stunned Starlet could remark three days later. It took Bahamut that long to return home. Without the wind, he could barely fly. In the end he needed to use his power of leviatation to move himself, and he had already exhausted so much power fighting Tiamat that it took him a while to regain it. However, he had returned at last. But the espers, who by now were all up and in arms about what had transpired, were hard pressed to gain anything from him. They had never seen him so brooding and angry before. It was a few hours before he stopped fuming long enough to tell them what he had seen. When they heard the news, they were understandably shocked. At the moment, only the highest espers on the council knew about it. It was only a matter of time before the others found out, however. When they did, there would be much more panic and fear at what was going on. And that was understandable. They were dealing with nothing else but the end of the world, and there was no way to stop it.

"Well...he obviously had to be lying..." Ogopogo spoke up at last, giving a shrug from his position. However, he already betrayed his true feelings. He had turned a pale shade ever since hearing that Tiamat was alive again, and he had not yet died down.

Leviathan, however, sighed and shook his head in response to this, causing the council members to turn to him. Leviathan had been conducting his own investigation during Bahamut's absence. He had only returned recently with news, but what he had to say was not good.

"I'm afraid that he might have been telling the truth." He sadly answered. "I've sensed the other Crystals and checked the Fire Crystal. What he confirmed was true. I can no longer sense any warmth or light coming from them. They've turned completely dark, without a trace of light still in them. And the elements are changing. I can sense it, and I'm sure the rest of you can as well. The elements are dying on this world. They're growing weaker every day. The wind is completely dead, but the water is beginning to grow dirty as well. With the wind alone gone, we can expect massive dieoffs of plants and animals in the world. And none of our dragons or flying kindred will be able to soar in the air again."

"I tried to inspect the Wind Crystal, but it was impossible." Ramuh sighed as he slowly shook his head. The others turned to him, and again noted that Ramuh was sporting one arm in a sling and leaned a bit uneasily on his staff. He had seen some action in the past three days as well. "The entire Lufenian City is overrun. Only one out of ten of them survived. They have fled to the Planet in a desperate attempt to rebuild. They are frightened and overwhelmed at what has happened to them, and they now fear us and all others on this world. As for the palace itself, all manners of mechanics and devices are now under the control of Tiamat. None may enter without encountering their wrath." Ramuh sighed a bit, and looked down to his arm with a frown. "I myself barely escaped a massive metal creature they named WarMech..."

"The fortress is the least of your problems." Shiva suddenly spoke up from her own position, causing everyone to turn to her and her spouse, Ifrit. "When the Crystal changed, the world itself seemed warped. Natural creatures became perverted and dark. All manner of loathesome beings exploded out of the sky and are now swarming the earth, attacking humans and civilizations everywhere. The people who are stranded at sea...well, it's probably already too late to save them. But everywhere else is now struggling to defend itself against the hoardes that are rampaging the Planet."

"And Tiamat is the worst." Ifrit added. "That monster is destroying everything on the Northern Continent. He's annihilating everything he comes across. Odin's forces have regrouped and have focused their attacks on the creature, but they aren't able to stop it."

"If what Tiamat said was true..." Leviathan darkly whispered, staring out ahead blankly and fearfully at the center platform of the council chamber. "...Then there isn't an attack they, or any of us, can do to stop that thing."

The people went silent here. Not one esper spoke again, but all formed fearful expressions.The younger had heard stories of Griever and the Four Fiends. The older ones had experienced it firsthand. But neither believed such times would ever come again. And even if they did, they didn't think it would herald the end of the Planet itself. The world was literally dying now. The Crystal had turned to darkness. The Planet itself was slowing fading. And they could do nothing against it. They could only stand and watch as things turned to evil.

Leviathan turned to Bahamut, seated on his king's position at the head of the council. But he offered no advice. The dark look from before was in his eyes, and he glared ahead at the ground. His chin was in his hand, and his eyes burned the floor with a fierce look. He seemed greatly angered about something, which Leviathan knew was the human involvement. Yet there was nothing he could say. In truth, Leviathan was shocked as well. They all were. But that didn't change the fact that he wanted Tiamat stopped. He wanted the Planet saved while there was still time.

"There has to be _something_ we can do." Starlet protested. Her voice was growing whining and desperate, wanting an answer to all this trouble. "Is there any way we can relight the Crystals? That would kill Tiamat, wouldn't it? And bring the wind back?"

Leviathan paused darkly in response to that. The others were silent and motionless, not knowing what else to say. But at length, Leviathan raised his head and began to speak slowly. "The Crystals are completely dark. They cannot be relit under their own power. There is only one thing that could possibly relight them. When they were broken into four pieces, parts of them were fragmented off into shards. If those shards weren't perverted by Griever's evil and still bore light within them, and somehow they survived being snuffed out by this recent turn of events, and somehow they were brought back to the original Crystals...then perhaps they would get some light back and have a chance of relighting. But not only would the darkness of this world likely snuff them out just as quickly, the shards have been lost for thousands of years. We would never find them again. They could literally be anywhere on the Planet. Even if all espers were searching for them, we might never find them."

"Well...then..." Starlet began to respond, pausing for a moment. Finally, she shook her head and spat it out. "We'll just need to get more help. What about humans? We could get every human in the world to help us."

Ogopogo frowned at this and looked puzzled at it. "Do you really think after all these years that the humans would just go and help us? And besides, why would they drop everything for that? They've got to defend themselves from Tiamat now."

"Well...that's just the thing." Starlet threw back. "They'll all trying to save themselves from Tiamat. They can rally now. They can unite together against this and be committed to saving the world. Maybe this could mean a change. Maybe this will be an end to their evil, and we'll have a chance to finally bring back a world where the Crystal can flourish."

"Sorry, Starlet, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Again, the whole council turned to look to a new voice. This time, however, it was in the doorway. As they turned and looked, their eyes fell upon a new arrival...Palidor. She seemed tired and winded. She had the best power over levitation and flight, but she was still struggling to fly in thie wind. It was barely possible even if one generated their own lift. But she had managed to come out, and now she had come back. However, her expression was dark and sad. Bahamut had been ignoring most of the dialogue until now, not so much as looking up to anything. He did now, looking to the esper and focusing on her.

"Palidor...what did you find?" Leviathan addressed immediately.

Palidor sighed and kept her head bowed, but finally began to respond. "Odin's army regrouped. They fortified their position again, and prepared for another assault against Tiamat. The sortie failed. There wasn't a single survivor. Odin then put out a call for a truce with the warring civil factions. He told them of Tiamat and wanted an alliance with them to destroy the Fiend of the Air." Here, Palidor paused and began to catch her breath again, for she was still breathing hard.

After a few moments, however, Leviathan asked again. "And...?"

Palidor looked back up, and her eyes filled with sadness.

"The factions attacked Odin's encampment immediately. They inflicted heavy casualties on civilians. Now, the factions are lapping up at the heels of Odin's forces. Every time Tiamat inflicts a loss, they rush in and compound it."

The espers were stunned. They fell back in their seats. Shock pervaded the room. Leviathan's face was filled with the most horror of all. He was totally appalled at this. He couldn't comprehend it. None of them could. This was crazy...insane! Could they have possibly heard right?

"Fools..." Ifrit sneered. "All of them! They need to unite, and now they torture each other!"

"Do they not realize that this is their own extinction? They are flirting with annihilation of themselves and the Planet!" Ramuh blasted in response. "If they don't unite now, there won't be any kingdoms left to unite when Tiamat has finished!"

"How could they have come to this point?" Leviathan breathed in astonishment. "How could they become so shallow and petty? They actually are encouraging that monster to finish their opponents for them! They actually _want_ it to annihilate their fellow man! The Fiend of theWind was speaking the truth...humanity has grown so wicked that their evil is leading them to self destruction. The world itself is dying...and they still want to continue their petty little wars!"

"Then we can't depend on humans any longer, I guess." Ogopogo sighed and spoke up as he shook his head. "We'll have to take Tiamat out ourselves. We could destroy the Wind Crystal..."

"Yes, yes..." Starlet snapped back in an irritated, sarcastic voice. "Then the wind will be dead forever. Even one destroyed Crystal is enough to eventually destroy this world. We need to find another way. Even if it means searching for that shard ourselves."

Leviathan was still shocked. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, stunned at what was going on. Inside, he too was angry at humanity for this. But knew that merely being upset would accomplish little. In the end, he turned to Bahamut. The king was still looking to Palidor, but his eyes were downward and focused on some other object. He was doubtlessly deep in thought again, and said nothing. At last, Leviathan inhaled and spoke up to him. "Bahamut...what do you think we should do? How should we proceed?"

The whole chamber went silent and turned to Bahamut at this. All quieted their own anger and distress, and turned to their leader. They expected a grand decision from him, or some plan to deal with this new difficulty. But they saw nothing. Bahamut kept his eyes downcast. He didn't move or shift in the least. For a few moments, they just stood in silence.He had been silent the whole time, and he didn't stop now. Finally, he turned one tired, dark look to them all for a moment. Immediately, he turned it away again, and then returned it to them a second afterward. At long last, he did speak to them. But his voice was not booming or commanding. It wasn't calm or controlled either. It was simply tired and weary. For Bahamut had been thinking long and hard since his fight with Tiamat. And as he did, all of the actions he had taken were brought up to mind. More and more, he felt betrayed. After all he had done, the humans had grown more wicked. They cared nothing for goodness or right anymore. They cared for nothing but themselves and for evil. He thought again and again about what Griever had said before he died. For centuries, he had feared thinking of that. He was afraid that he'd believe it and that he'd attack the humans or dominate them. He thought he'd make himself a tyrant over them and make their very souls into his slaves. Now...he hated the fact that he didn't take that advice earlier. He hated the fact that he didn't subjugate the humans long ago. They were now destroying both him and his world due to their hate. And now, he had the answer to this.

"Proceed...?" He responded at last, darkly and slowly, half disconnected from the conversation. "How should we proceed...?" A brief pause went by. "Here's how we shall proceed. We shall sit by and do nothing."

Silence once again went through the chamber. But this time, it was due to surprise. Puzzlement struck the faces of the espers. They seemed to think they had not heard right. Bahamut hadn't just said that. Leviathan blinked, and leaned his head in. "Um, sir?"

"You said it yourself, Leviathan." Bahamut simply answered. His face showed no emotion, just a dark demeanor. "They're letting Tiamat destroy their opponents for them. Turnabout is fair play. Let us let Tiamat destroy the humans for us."

Now the group really was shocked. Their stiffened in surprise at all of this, and began to uneasily shift in their spots. Had Bahamut just _encouraged_ the destruction of humans? Bahamut loved humans more than any other esper. And yet now, he just said he wanted them dead? Ogopogo scratched his head a bit, and spoke uneasily up in reply to this. "Er...Bahamut...am I getting you right? You actually want us to stand by and do nothing? The humans will be destroyed. There is no way they can stand up to any of this. And you're ok with that?"

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be, Ogopogo?" Bahamut half-snapped back, actually causing his brother to recoil a little. "The humans are the ones who caused this. They brought this evil into the world. They perverted the Crystals. If they were gone, there would be a chance of recovery. But as long as their evil remains, they'll poison the Crystals again. Their very wickedness is slowly turning this Planet into a wasteland. They'll kill all life through their evil, including themselves and us. Is there any reason I _shouldn't_ allow Tiamat to kill them? In fact, is there any reason I shouldn't be going out and slaughtering humans myself?"

The espers were visibly shocked now. They had never heard such things from Bahamut. It sounded almost like a different person. Never had any expected Bahamut to say such things. It was overwhelming. It was even more shocking than the news that the Planet was dying. They were stunned. Some were even horrified. Starlet, who too had a love for the humans, was flabbergasted. Her mouth hung open in shock. She retorted in amazement at the dragon esper. "Lord Bahamut...have you gone mad? What are you saying? This is talk of a madman!"

"No, it is talk of a practical man!" Bahamut suddenly snapped. The esper drew himself to his full height, and power suddenly flew out from him. A shock went through the air, and as he revealed his intimidating power and body, the other espers shrank back in fear and stared at him in surprise. But Bahamut was angry now.He glanced around the room angrily blasting out. "All of you, open your eyes! What is this you are saying! Save the humans? Rescue them as we once did? Feh...why? Why did we save them last time? We wanted them to live in freedom and peace! We destroyed their oppressors and the source of evil in this world! We did not think of saving Griever, our brother, or the Four Fiends before, did we? No. We showed them no pity because they were destroyers of the Planet and creatures of evil. Why should we not be the same for these humans? Look at them! Murders! Thefts! Rapes! Molestations! Destructions! Burnings! Tortures! Wars! They've proved themselves as evil, heartless, and selfish as Griever a thousand times over for thousands of years! And yet we put up with it for so long as their race grew more and more preverted! Time and time again we endured them and allowed the few good on this world to try and outdo the bad, and time and time again the evil have smothered them and continued to grow! We saved them! Provided help for them! Ensured their prosperity! And this is how we are repaid? I for one have had enough. My duty is to ensure that this planet survives, not that a race of destroyers survives. I will help them no longer. Their evil brought this out. Their evil can deal with it now. Humanity can reap what it has sown. This world will never recover so long as they live."

The espers were shocked and stunned. They couldn't believe this. Starlet was overwhelmed. Palidor was too, as were many other good natured espers. But ones like Leviathan, Shiva, and Ifrit kept their heads bowed. They thought of what Bahamut had said, and sadly...it made sense. It was the evil of men that had done this. Their wickedness had grown so strong that the world itself was beginning to die. Their very existence was killing the Planet. They were no longer the innocent and pure individuals they once were. Now, they had grown so perverse and horrible that they were only a shadow of the good creatures they had once been. Even if they did save them...their evil would continue to grow. And it would cause this incident to happen again. Already, the world looked doomed to die. It would take a miracle to stave off its destruction. And if the humans lived and simply caused it to be destroyed again...what good would it do? Perhaps they were the problem now...

"Bahamut..." Starlet spoke at last. "You...you can't mean that... You must remember Palad..."

"Palad is dead, and he sired filthy offspring." Bahamut coldly retorted, shocking both Starlet and everyone in the room. He no longer had any love for that name, something that even the hardest of the old espers had. At any rate, he turned to the others and spoke again. "I will take no action until the last human draws his final breath. Only then can this world be saved. My last order until that time I issue now. Leviathan, you are to gather as many creatures as you can that you feel will be threatened by the coming disasters, and preserve them until the crisis is over." With that, Bahamut turned away from the council, and seemed to start to walk out.

The group was shocked at this. Quickly, they rose to their feet in reply, Leviathan among them. He called out after him. "Lord Bahamut, what do you mean? Why is this your last order? Are you going somewhere?"

"Indeed I am." Bahamut answered, pausing and turning his head slightly behind himself, but not turning around. "I will be deaf to any pleading on behalf of the humans. Doing so will incite me to anger. And I can no longer stand to be here and watch the world turn to dust before my eyes as they destroy it. I will seek solice and solitude with my kindred southwest of here. And I hereby forbid any esper from visiting me. They may only come when summoned. Should I desire contact, I will send my offspring out to acquire it and present it to me. Do not move to dispute me on this. Right now, before God, I am so vexed with the entire human race that one more word about them will likely send me joining Tiamat in carrying out their annihilation."

The group was stunned, but they would not dispute their master. They could only stand there as they watched him turn back around and storm out of the chamber. Soon he was gone, and the sounds of his footsteps faded as he left the hall. Leviathan stared back and sighed in response. He bowed his head slightly and raised his human hands to rub his temples. This was the last thing he wanted. He wanted to do something about the Crystals and the Fiends right now.They couldn't afford this bickering. The future of the Planet itself was at stake! They could all be dead within a few thousand years! And yet...what could he say? A part of him agreed with Bahamut. Humanity...they had gone against their wishes so badly. They weren't even a shadow of the innocent creatures they once were. Even if they could fix the Planet, what good would it do? If humanity continued to remain so dark, then they would not be able to save the world even if they could relight the Crystals. Their evil had done the unthinkable. It would do it again. Something wasn't that right about all this, however. Leviathan had a feeling that there was something more to this than just the evil of men... But regardless of what it was, the evil of men was causing it. And Bahamut was sadly right. How could they save them or the Planet if humans were around to do more evil?

However, Leviathan was truly content to sit by the sidelines for one other reason. That was for hope at reconcilation. Perhaps this danger and chaos would one day change humanity. Perhaps the wicked of the old generation would die out, and in the crucible of pain and struggle truly innocent and just humans would emerge again. People who were willing to stand against this evil and forget their petty differences and squabblings. It was in such situations thousands of years ago that people like Palad came into the world, humans with hearts pure and true. Maybe this incident could make them change. Maybe they could allign to save themselves. Perhaps true goodness would be exposed once again, and there would be a chance for true reconcilation. Then the world would turn good again...and then, perhaps, the world could truly be saved _and_ the humans could live there. They might once again become the race with potential for good that he and his family had saved so many years ago.

And perhaps...Bahamut too could become reconciled to them at that time.

However, there was nothing more to be done at the time than carry out Bahamut's orders. As the espers turned from the door and back to Leviathan, the sea serpent in the guise of an old man rose up once again and gave a nod. Many of them looked upset to just sit by and do this, but others seemed content for now.

"Right." He spoke. "We will carry out Bahamut's final orders, and hope for his return and a soon end to this madness."

Some frowned, but bowed their heads in acceptance. Others shook their heads and turned away, and some looked upset. Leviathan himself lowered his head a bit, and spoke out another comment.

"This will be a difficult time for us all, and let us pray that it will be short. The Age of Chaos has begun."

* * *

To be continued...


	16. Light Warriors

_One Thousand Years Later_

"My Lord Bahamut...is their anything you wish?"

That was one reason that Bahamut kept these two attendants. Normal dragons would give him some official title like, "Father-Of-All-Dragons". It had been a thousand years, and still Bahamut hated these titles. None of them were as casual as his fellow espers. His children, the race of dragons, were far more dignified and official. And they revered their ancestor very highly. They all but worshipped him as a Dragon God. He didn't much care for the chamber they had built for him either. It was a long hall in a cave slightly under the ground of blue dark rock. There were torches leading all the way up to a throne for him at the back. Two dragon-like creatures, far smaller than him, stood before him and waited on him day and night. Apparently, he had been getting bigger after all. He realized he was twice as big as the average dragon. However, although these creatures looked somewhat draconian, his personal attendants were not. They were personal attendents he had brought from Terratopolis with him here, and they were offspring of espers and normal creatures. They were very special and had great magical power in them, but they were not true espers. Still, he prefered their company to anyone. After a thousand years...he still was frowning and looking downcast at the mere thought of men or the world.

"No, Khan. I'll tell you when I do."

The lizard-like creature swallowed, and turned and looked over to his sister, a slightly different creature named Singh. She frowned a bit herself and shook her head at Khan, indicating he shouldn't push it. Exhaling, Khan turned back and did what he had been doing for the past thousand years for the most part...looking out day and night for any arrivals. As for Bahamut, he went back to doing what he had been doing for a thousand years...contemplating his hatred and disappointment in men.

Outside, the world was dying. For centuries Tiamat battled against the Northern Kingdoms. Somehow, Odin had managed to conquer his foes and win them to his cause, and then waged war against Tiamat. The Fiend ofWind shifted tactics to where he did not strike often, and when he did, eventually Odin managed to gather enough strength to keep his damage down to a minimal. He even appeared to drive him off now and again. But the kingdom was in constant war. They fought endlessly against the monster for centuries. During that time, more and more people died, more towns were laid waste, and the effects of no wind caused more to die around the Planet. The world was in chaos, on the brink of constant war. But it did not fall into full ruin...yet.

Then, the prophecy of Tiamat came...and Kraken returned.

The monster caused the seas to rage into a poison malestrom. The coasts of the entire planet were battered by tidal waves to signal the monster's return. Yet the water turned foul and stagnant. Putrid slime and toxin was in it. All who drank from it or even got some in their mouth or skin got infections and disease from it. Rivers began to cease to flow. The ocean became foul. In both cases, horrible monsters and vicious carnivorous plants began to clog those streams as well. The mermaid races beneath the ocean began to die, as did all the fish. Only in areas where there was still spring water from beneath the ground was the water clean and drinkable. However, many creatuers were dying. The espers struggled for six hundred years to save the Fiend of Wind's victims: the birds that were susceptible to predation now. Now, they had to keep many of the creatures of the sea and rivers preserved as well. But many more were still dying. The whole world was on the verge of a horrible extinction. The espers couldn't save everything. Two hundred years ago, the last tame horse died when drinking poisoned water. This much Bahamut knew of the activities of the espers. However, he knew much of other things as well.

This was all the effect of the fall of the first two Crystals. However, the return of Kraken meant worse. It meant the destruction of the world was intensified. Odin barely held his kingdom together under one Fiend. But with the arrival of the second...the great human kingdom was doomed. Within a month, the entire Northern Continent was laid waste. Every castle but one was destroyed and all were gutted. Villages were burned to ash. Not one human was allowed to escape. The only place to go was the sea, and Kraken made sure none of them survived. It was the worst genocide in the history of man. Odin himself was forced to escape in the end. He managed to hold on alone, until every last of his subjects was dead. He struggled to fight on after that, but he could not. Right down until the end he thought he could beat them. But it was hopeless. It was only because of Slepnir that he survived. With that done, Tiamat and Kraken were left alone to destroy the world unchecked.

They worked slowly, destroying the world at their leisure. But bit by bit, the major kingdoms fell. Elves...dwarves...and men...all of their kingdoms fell. All opposition was slowly defeated. The world became a wasteland for beasts, with very few civilizations at all left. People were dying critically and frequently. Few children were even being born anymore. As the world died, humans continued to fall one by one. Humanity was already ripe to receive a killing blow. The whole world was tottering on the brink of destruction. The balance was shifting to death as it was. And yet, Tiamat and Kraken did not strike. No...they wanted to wait. They wanted their two remaining companions to arrive and help them. Then nothing would spare the Planet. They could attack together, and get revenge together on the espers as they finished off the world. That, Bahamut realized, was why they hadn't struck at the dragons yet. When they attacked at the end, they wanted him. He knew he would be the last to die. He would be the final target before the end of the Planet itself.

Only one elven forest was left, their native Elfheim. The last of the dwarves were holed up in Mt. Duergar. As for the humans...only one minor kingdom still stood, mostly because the army was never strong enough to fight in a war. That was Cornelia. There were a few other towns scattered across the world that belonged to men too. Pravoka...Melmond...Crescent Lake...Gaia...Onrac... None of them would be able to be a match for a Fiend, even if they alligned. As for the Lufenians, they were a stranded and lost race now. They had lost almost all of their technology. No human could understand them. Now, after all these years, they were still a feeble and fallen race, isolated on the world and powerless to even communicate with the other races. There had been rumors...something to the effect that others encountered them from time to time. But Bahamut couldn't see how that could be so. So he didn't care much for it.

At any rate, the evil of the world did not abate. Humans continued to betray and fight. They may no longer have had the capability for war, but they were as wicked as ever. They continued to betray, murder, steal, and wage all sorts of wickedness against one another. Long had they lost their strength, and yet with what power they had left they continued to fight one another. Nothing would sate them or abate them.The dark feeling that he felt surrounding the Planet did not fade, but only grew more oppresive, cold, and foul. The Planet continued to constantly grow dark, and humans, it was clear, did nothing but contribute to it. Because of that, Bahamut continued to be cross and disapproving. His anger against the wickedness of man remained unchanged. He continued to wait for one thing...their annihilation. Only then, he believed, would there be an end to this and hope of recovery.

And he hoped it happened soon. The world had but 800 years left...

200 before Kary returned...

Bahamut kept his head bowed low and said nothing. This was much as he had been for years without change. Soon however, he heard a sound that caught his occasional interest. That was the sound of footsteps, and it always brought news. He looked up at once. Ahead of him, he saw a gold dragon coming forward down the long hallway. It took some time for him to reach them, but eventually he was coming before the throne area itself.

"Halt!" Khan immediately blasted. He was an exciteable young esper, and he always took his duties a little extreme. "State your business at once!"

"Oh, don't mind this fool..." Singh sighed in response. "Just pause before the throne and give Lord Bahamut the news."

The gold dragon seemed to pay no mind to either attendant. Instead, he came down in front of the throne without being bidden, and immediately dropped down to one knee. His head was put down and looked away from the larger dragon esper, and he spoke in a tone of deep reverence. "Father-Of-All-Dragons...I come bearing news."

Bahamut looked back at him for a moment. A few seconds went by, but then he gave a short nod to him. He was sure it was more bad news. There hadn't been anything new lately, after all. Just a few brief changes of little importance. The next big change wasn't due for another two hundred years. Until then, he could just sit and wait and endure the small changes. This dragon did not introduce himself as having anything more important to say than any other dragon, and so he regarded the news as just mediocre. "You may speak." He simply responded.

"Master...do you remember Garland?"

Bahamut thought of this a moment, and frowned somewhat when he remembered it. Yes, he remembered that name. It was over in the Cornelia kingdom. Some mysterious man had showed up years ago in that realm. He had excelled in power and ability, and pledged his loyalty to the throne. Within no time at all, he became their greatest knight. He was especially useful in a time where the country needed defense against the dark powers of the world, even though the Cornelia region was the least effected by the changes the world was seeing. And for a few years, he had seemed to defend his realm well. He was a trusted and faithful servant to his king. At least...that was until he went the inevitable path of all men. He betrayed his own kingdom. He kidnapped their princess, and demanded control of the kingdom with it. He had the power to defeat any of the king's knights who rose to oppose him, so it was simply a matter of forcing them into submission. Bahamut hadn't regarded this as much. Just more wickedness of men, and another inevitable failure. It would mean the last human kingdom was destroyed and nothing more.

"Yes, I remember." He responded. "What of him?"

"Well, my lord...he has been defeated."

Bahamut paused slightly at that, but not long. That wasn't necessarily big news. After all, there were a few humans running around still who could stop minor acts of terrorism and evil. And much as Cornelia thought about this, this was minor at best compared to the evil that was destroying the world. This was hardly worthy of his concern. Just some other note.

"Very well." He simply responded.

"It was four humans who did it."

"I thought as much. You may go." Bahamut answered.

"Sir...they had certain items on them."

Bahamut tried to suppress rolling his eyes. He didn't really care. "What items?"

"They appeared to have shards of crystal with them, one to each human." The dragon answered. "Each one was a different color...and shone with an inner light. They seemed to correspond to the Four Crystals."

Khan and Singh both looked up to this. Their faces showed interest and surprise at this sudden announcement. They turned to their master to see what sort of result this would have. Bahamut himself stared back at the gold dragon. He was quiet for a few moments and said nothing in reply. Then, at last, he spoke again. "Is that all?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Very well. You may go."

The gold dragon gave a bow in response to the dragon king. After that, he turned and walked back out from the deep cave. As for Bahamut, he merely sat straight and tall, not looking pensive or thoughtful at all about this. He merely stared out with his normal appearance. Once the gold dragon had left, and the sound of his departure had faded, and once again they were all alone in the chamber, the three stood in silence for a few moments. At length, however, Khan and Singh both turned around to Bahamut. They looked to him with some expectation. However, Bahamut showed nothing. He looked just the same as always.

"Well sir?" Singh asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Well what, Singh?" Bahamut calmly answered.

"What do you think of these humans?" She responded.

"Very little." Bahamut simply answered. "What am I to think of them, Singh? This is just another petty little conflict among humanity. Occasionally, you see someone come forward and actually do something noble. But this didn't matter much. These were just some humans wandering around wanting to beat up a bully. It means little, other than that they are somewhat less repulsive than the rest of their selfish race."

"But the crystal shards?" Khan brought up.

"What of them?"

"Sir...Lord Leviathan... He said that the only way to restore the Crystals..."

Bahamut rolled his eyes for real at this. He exhaled a heavy sigh. "Khan..."

"They were light. They matched the colors..."

"Oh, come on now, Khan." Bahamut flatly answered, his voice full of cynicism. "The Crystal was broken into four pieces millenia ago. I was younger than you and your sister when it happened. No one knows what has become of the pieces. That they could be found and not simply kept in some treasure chest in a miserly human's vault is nearly impossible. It is highly unlikely that anyone could find them at all, let alone have them come together and be in the hands of the same group. If the espers haven't been able to find them, then it is almost impossible that the humans could. And if they could, what then? What reason is there to believe that these four humans would have them?"

"But sir," Singh protested. "Even in the human world, they have become somewhat aware of the Four Crystals. They know that four shards are needed to restore them. If they were to find four shards, then maybe they would realize that they were needed for-"

Bahamut sighed again, and raised a claw to his temple. "Singh, you confuse humans with espers. The humans barely understand the legend. Even if they did, they lack the power and strength and purity of will to be able to carry it out. It is humanity's evil that has caused this in the first place. Their actions cannot undo it. They would not even know what to look for. It is more likely that these people either carried some jewelry with them, or that they are impersonating an answer to some legend they conceived and do not understand. It is probably a ploy to gain wealth of some sort, or notoriety. All that they have done is saved one princess of one lesser kingdom. There is no reason to believe anything else."

"But sir-"

Bahamut sighed and turned his head down. "Singh, Khan... Stop trying to make me feel so optimistic about them. I have lost all love or care for them. I no longer have faith in their race. This will end eventually, yes... But it will only end when they are gone. I am thoroughly convinced of that now. Nothing will change my mind. Certainly not some mere act of human altruism. I don't expect to ever even hear about these humans again. If they try, they will be destroyed. The time will come to find the shards and restore them to the Crystals. But it will have to be something we take care of. We are the only ones that we can trust now. No one else. We have safeguarded the Planet for this long. We can trust no one else to do the same. Certainly not the humans anymore."

"Sir..."

Bahamut merely dismissed this with another head shaking. Khan and Singh both looked to protest for a moment, but then sighed and looked down again. They realized their master wasn't going to listen. And they wouldn't dispute him. They merely turned away and resumed their somber looks.

"Let's just return to work on your metamorphosis studies. You'll forget about this soon. I doubt we shall ever hear from it again."

* * *

Bahamut, however, hadn't been so wrong about something in a long time.

It was only about two weeks later when a silver dragon arrived. As before, Khan and Singh were his attendants in the chamber, while Bahamut stood in the back of the cave. He had news for him again, and once more it was about the four humans. But it wasn't just concerning another human kingdom at this time. It was concerning something much different.

"I received the story from an elvish sage." The silver dragon began, head bowed and kneeling before Bahamut. "He said the four warriors came from the Northwest to Elfheim. They were on one of the few ships that could still sail in the dead waters, one that they claimed to have taken from the notorious pirate Bikke when he was terrorizing Pravoka. They had four crystal shards with them, one for each of the Four Crystal colors."

Bahamut showed slightly more interest to this, but not much. Bikke was one of the filthiest human specimens left in the world. He made himself rich and wealthy off of the oppression of the weak and innocent. His ship had long since been enchanted by dark wizards, enabling it to sail at a constant speed regardless of the status of the wind. Rather than using this ship to help people, he used it to raid stranded ships and conquer weak towns. Everywhere he went, he bent the populace to his will, took the women for himself, seized the children as slaves, slaughtered the men, and raided whatever was left of value. He was a disgusting man who exploited the misfortunes of the world. He was weak himself, but he had enough men under him to do his bidding and enforce his wishes. However, it seemed that had changed. Again these four had appeared, and it seemed as if this time they had made the pirate answer for his crimes and commandeered his ship. Still, Bahamut thought little of it. That ship was a fine prize for the good and evil alike, and could be used for either purpose, especially in the hands of men.

"And what did they want with Elfheim?" Bahamut next addressed. He knew much of that place as well. It was the last refuge for the elves of the world. But more than that, it was possibly going to be their dying realm. During the attacks of the fiends and the age of chaos, dark elves had risen. Unlike pure elves, these ones devoted themselves to darkness and death. They were from a perverted, dark side of nature. They saw opportunity to advance in this world of decay, where they could thrive and spread more rot and disease and enhance their power over the dying earth. Although most dark elves were dead after years of conflict, Bahamut knew of one notorious elf that still lived. He was Astos, lord of the dark elves, and ruler of the Western Keep. This elf seemed to gain power when the crystals went dark. Because of it, he was able to attack and deal a crushing blow to elves of Elfheim not long ago. Five years ago he killed the last of the Elvenkings, and placed a curse on the prince of the elves to sleep for eternity. Astos then moved to gain the long buried crown of the elves, to make himself their next king and ruler and turn the race of elves to darkness. Not even the espers knew how to cure such a malady that had befallen the prince. Even if they did, it did not matter. Bahamut would not let them intervene until the humans were gone and the feeling of evil in the world was suppressed. And it was only continuing to grow as of late. In the meantime, the elves of Elfheim were leaderless and likely doomed. Astos was far stronger than any mortal man, assuming one would ever try to slay him, or elf. And nothing would break the sleep of the prince.

Such was Bahamut's fixed way of thinking. So what he heard next caught him a bit off guard.

"The four warriors...they found a potion of great power and gave it to the prince. He awakened almost immediately from his five year curse. After that, they presented him with two gifts: the Crown of the Elvenkings...and the head of Astos the Dark Elf. They had claimed both, venturing into the bottom of the forbidden cave to get one, and slaying the owner of the other to obtain it."

Khan and Singh couldn't hold back any longer. They immediately snapped around and gazed in shock at the silver dragon. Bahamut himself raised an eyebrow, and felt himself a bit stunned. "Are you sure you did not hear wrong?" Bahamut addressed, his voice very skeptical and cynical. "It is improbable, if not impossible, for what you have said to have occured."

"I didn't believe it myself, Father-Of-All-Dragons...but it is true." The silver dragon responded, not looking up. "No one else has dared try, and there is no other explanation. Hundreds of witnesses among the elves and humans alike can confirm it."

Bahamut paused again at this, but then merely shook his head. "Perhaps they appeared to be human, but were in a different form. Still, they could not have passed from Cornelia at any rate."

"There is a chance that they in fact did, my lord. In fact, it is most likely." The silver dragon protested, causing Khan and Singh to be more intrigued, and Bahamut to turn back to him. "The king of Cornelia rebuilt the bridge on the road to Pravoka after the death of Garland and the return of the Princess Sarah. The only ones who have crossed it so far are the four warriors matching the descriptions of the ones in Elfheim. Their appearance matches sightings in Pravoka as well. This is all being carried out by the same four humans."

Bahamut's brow wrinkled in confusion. He was genuinely puzzled by this. Surely, this could not be right. Humanity simply lacked the power. "You must be mistaken." He protested, his own voice now growing bewildered. "Never have any humans with such power walked the face of the Planet. No human group could destroy a dark elf, especially not one as mighty as Astos. To do so would require a strength of will and purity of heart mightier than any other human who ever walked the Planet. There is not the light in any human soul that burns that strong. No human has the power."

"I attest that what I am telling you is the truth, my lord...as far as I know it." The silver dragon responded simply, bowing his head lower.

Bahamut couldn't believe this. It wasn't true. He had never seen a human of that much strength. Dark elves fought with evil and wickedness. Death and darkness was their way. Humans, black and evil as they themselves were, could not possibly withstand their powers. It would take a pure soul, and no humans had such souls. They had grown far too evil. The world was continuing to die from their wickedness. And yet...the silver dragon claimed that this was so. Normally, the word of a dragon was proof enough for Bahamut. He had always expected the truth from them, and had no reason to doubt them. And yet, for the first time ever...he felt himself probing the mind of this dragon. He knew that he spoke the truth. He knew he wouldn't lie. And yet...his own mind refused to accept that what he heard was true. There had to be a mistake. Humans could not be like this. It was impossible. And yet...he sensed no lie on the dragon's mind. Everything he had checked to attempt to see the truth of was real. And those many witnesses could not lie or make up such a similar story. There had indeed been no others. It was this group of four humans that had done this.

This was a mysterious change of events. However, Bahamut waved to the silver dragon and dismissed him. The dragon bowed again, then turned and left the way he came. As before, Bahamut and his attendants were left in silence. A few moments went by in which no one said anything. This time, however, Khan and Singh were turned to each other and looking eager and amazed. Once things were totally quiet again, and they were certain that they were alone, they began to talk to each other with excited voices.

"Amazing..."

"Astos dead! At the hand of a human!"

"No human has ever taken up an elvish cause before!"

"And the shards! The shards!"

"Yes, yes! Maybe they really..."

"Oh, you two." Bahamut scolded with a disapproving tone. Both of them stopped immediately and looked to him. He glared at both with a gruff appearance, and shook his head. "I thought you would be smart enough not to believe in made-up human prophecies. I already told you once, these aren't the shards. The chances of them being there are astronomical to impossible."

"But master!" Khan whined.

"Master," Singh insisted, somewhat more controlled. "Surely the destruction of Astos... He was a dark elf! No human has ever killed a dark elf before! They had to have clean hearts and minds to even be able to begin to fight it!"

Bahamut frowned. He had to admit, he was caught there. He himself, on many of his tirades of insulting humans, had stated that humans were too wicked to even fight a dark elf, much less a fiend. However, he had been forced to eat his words. They had somehow. Still he refused to believe this meant much. He frowned and turned his head to one side, and began to speak.

"Clearly, Astos was far weaker than I had hoped. Either that, or far less purity was required to fight him."

"Master!" Singh began to protest, nearly whining. Both Bahamut's attendents seemed to not like this answer, as treated it as some sort of a cop-out.

"_Nevertheless..._" Bahamut quickly added, sighing inwardly that he was having to concede somewhat to the statements of these youngsters, but wanting them to stop talking about it. Already, it had been nearly impossible to get them to stop after hearing about Garland. Goodness knows how encouraged they would be now. "I will admit. They had to be superior to the average human to be able to do this. Perhaps, at least for now, they have some genuine goodness inside them. But that is irrelevant. All humans have the potential, indeed the predisposition, for evil. They all eventually fall into it. I once knew a good human, but he sired filthy offspring. And they now rule the world and infect its race. Valiant or altruistic as these humans seem, they are still only human. They are still limited in their scope of thinking, weak of heart and spirit, and ultimately will collapse into darkness as millions of them have done before. This small action against Astos does not change the world's fate. Nor does it reverse the closing darkness that grows every day."

Khan and Singh both frowned at this. It was obvious that they thought Bahamut was being a wet blanket. Still, Bahamut refused to change. He knew he was right. They'd fall. They'd turn to evil in the end. They'd never make a real difference. They had done this, yes, but this was as far as they would get. From here on in, their power would pervert them to evil as it had to all other humans. This heroism would end now. And if it didn't, the powers of this world that were inclined to darkness would crush them. Humanity was weak in mind, body, and spirit. Easily broken, andbroken by any opposition. Such would be the case. No...again, it would eventually be up to the espers to fix this world. Humans would eventually die. These four...they were probably the last halfway decent humans in the world, but eventually they would fade as well. All humans did, and their valor and honor became nothing next to the evil of the Planet.

Bahamut exhaled, and turned his head forward to look out again, taking up his old position.

_...Still...it is amazing that they beat Astos...

* * *

_

A seed of interest was planted in the head of Bahamut. He denied it, but it was there. He claimed he cared nothing for these new humans. Honest and truly, he believed that they were doomed to die and fail as their fellow race members had done. Yet still he was intrigued to hear more of them. Indeed, no human had ever acted on behalf of saving both humans and elves. And none had slain a Dark Elf. He doubted he would hear from them again...but somewhere, deep inside, he somewhat wished that he would. As it turned out, two weeks later...his wish was granted.

A gold dragon burst down the hallway. He was flying this time, soaring down to try and reach Bahamut as quickly as possible. He was panting and straining. It looked as if he had struggled to get to Bahamut as soon as possible. Khan and Singh, shocked at the sudden appearance of the exhausted, furiously flying gold dragon, stood up at once and quite forgot procedure. Bahamut himself did, and rose up from his position to look down on the gold dragon as he approached. Within moments, the gold dragon was before them. Covered with sweat, struggling to catch his breath, he threw himself down flat in front of Bahamut. He gasped and panted there for a few moments, regaining his bearings. In the meantime, Khan, Singh, and Bahamut were shocked. They hovered over the fallen dragon and regarded him with amazement. The urgency was evident, but whatever could it mean? What had brought the dragon here in such a fury and rush? But they got no answer. The dragon continued to pant and wheeze against the ground, and couldn't even look up.

"What is the matter?" Bahamut addressed him as he lay there. "What has happened?"

The gold dragon panted and huffed for a few more moments. He swallowed and moistened his throat, but continued to breathe hard and deep. Finally, he managed to slowly raise his head. He kept his eyes averted from Bahamut, but he choked out something shocking.

"My...my lord...the four humans...are attempting to relight the Earth Crystal!"

Khan and Singh dropped their jaws. They staggered back in surprise, and looked to each other in shock and amazement. However, that shock soon changed. Smiles began to spread on their faces, and looks of joy went over them. This was only confirming their greatest hopes. They immediately filled with enthusiasm and excitement to hear it. Bahamut too was likewise shocked. He misinterpretted what was being said at first. What he did hear, he didn't believe. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. No human had the strength or wisdom. They couldn't even know that much about the Crystals. They knew nothing, not like the espers. They had innate knowledge of the world and its workings. They knew the right things to do. Humans did not. How could they do this? How could they even care one way or another? How could they reach the Earth Crystal? How could they possibly relight it? Impossible! All impossible! The humans could do none of it. This was all a misunderstanding... It could be nothing else. Nevertheless, Bahamut demanded an explanation.

It took a while to go through it, but the gold dragon eventually told all. Apparently, the dragons were now taking an interest in these warriors. They were beginning to watch their every move, and shared information with each other. They had been giving Bahamut only the latest developments, but dragons were constantly watching them now to see if what they were doing was possible or true. They weren't alone either. Many human races now observed them. The espers had an interest in them too. The elves too were watching along with the dwarves. They were no longer simply called the "four humans". Now, all in the world were slowly beginning to call them by the title that the human legends claimed would revive the earth. They called them "the Light Warriors".

Following what they had done in Elfheim, they helped the dwarves of Mt. Duergar complete a canal that allowed Bikke's ship access to the open ocean. They were now free to travel around the world. And their journey took them straight to Melmond. That human settlement was experiencing what was going to happen to the world within the next 800 years...the rotting of the earth itself. The world had already begun to decay and turn to wasteland, but only nearest to the dark Earth Crystal was the world turning into waste. Each new fiend that came forth intensified it. When the Light Warriors arrived, they realized the problem. But by now, they had realized something else. They saw that their crystal shards now had the power to potentially relight the darkened crystals. Apparently, they had run into enough sages in their journey who knew only fragments of the nature of the Crystals to piece together what they needed to do...what they could possibly do. To that end, they had gone into the Cavern of Earth, the resting place of the Earth Crystal. There, they found and slayed a foul, life-draining wraith creature best known as a Vampire. However, they realized that their efforts were not saving the earth, and they had left to seek new guidance in this regard.

Bahamut patiently listened to the whole tale. Singh and Khan were captivated by it, hanging on every word and seeming to cheer on these Light Warriors as the story was told. Bahamut himself heard this, and was more stunned than before. The battle hadn't stunned him so much. Oh, he knew better. He knew that Lich was the true culprit for this offense...that, and the evil of men. That Vampire was a decoy...a distraction. The true evil was deeper in the cave. What more, he knew that the moment the humans attempted to confront this evil, they would be annihilated. Lich was invincible, and far stronger than anything they had ever encountered. There wasn't a human alive who was even a reasonable match for his power. He had been wrong about Astos, but he knew he wasn't wrong about Lich. That monster was beyond anything that Astos has been. It was not possible for humans to win. Even if they could, the Crystal would remain dark. Lich would simply regenerate. He couldn't be killed anymore, not with the dark Crystal constantly fueling him. Victory was impossible.

Unless...

They truly did have the crystal shards.

But Bahamut grunted to himself and shook his head. Now _he_ was starting to believe that foolishness. There was no way that the humans had the shards. _No one_ had them. They may think they have them, but there was no way they truly did. If they did, the light would be eclipsed by the darkness of their hearts or men's hearts within an instant. Then all hope would be gone. In fact, it was important that humans never touch the shards. If they did, then all hope would be destroyed, and the Crystals would be dark forever. Their evil would ruin them and doom the Planet. They needed to hurry up and die so that there would still be hope left. Only espers could save the world. Humans were ruining it by their very existence... So they couldn't possibly have the true shards.

And yet...Bahamut couldn't silence his thinking so easily.

These four warriors...they might have been foolish and stupid for trying to take on powers far beyond them. They might have been going to an early grave. They might even be doing more harm than good through their folly of thinking themselves heroes. But...Bahamut could not hate them so much for this. They were in the Cavern of Earth. They were doomed to die, but they were trying. They were the first humans in a thousand years of slow death and decay, Bahamut realized, that stopped thinking about themselves and their own petty problems and concerns. They were genuinely concerned with the well being of all life on the Planet. That trait was something only espers thought of. That was something only they could fathom...only they could care for. And yet...these humans were now concerned with it? Weak...brittle...foolish...excuses for heroes...and yet they wanted to actually help? After a thousand years of chaos, were some of them actually trying to make a difference? It seemed as if they were.

Amazing as it seemed... Bahamut realized that for the first time there may actually be unselfish humans in the world.

These people...might actually be for real.

They were doomed to lose. Lich would destroy them all. And if he didn't, the other fiends would. And yet, while their bodies were useless...their minds feeble...perhaps they did actually have some honor in them. True honor. Perhaps they actually wanted to help others. Perhaps they were truly selfless...and truly pure on the inside. Perhaps...there was some true, pure, and good blood left in humanity after all these years. Perhaps there was yet true determination, courage, and perserverance toward goodness that was within men. Bahamut didn't honestly believe that there was at this time...but for the first time in a long while he began to consider the possibility that there might be. For a short moment, he wanted to meet these warriors face to face and find out for certain...

When the dragon was dimissed, Khan and Singh were too excited to control. They whispered and murmured so much among themselves that eventually Bahamut simply commanded them to be silent, and only then was left with his thoughts. Once they were alone and quiet for a few moments, Bahamut thought for a few seconds about attemping to seek out and scan for the presence of these humans. But in the end, he decided against it. No matter what happened, they could not survive Lich. He knew he wouldn't hear from them again if they went any farther. And so, he decided to ignore it.

This would be the end of it all, it seemed.

* * *

The day that changed Bahamut's life...and the life of the world...began just like any other.

He rose early in the morning. He would have hunted for something to eat before dawn, but the dragons of the land were determined to feed him and serve him. As usual, they brought him more than he could possibly eat shortly after he awoke. After he had filled himself, the dragon that had hunted it was left to run off and boast while Bahamut settled into his position in the cave. Soon after, Khan and Singh arose from their own slumber, and then filed out to attend to their master once again. They were still earnest for rumors or talk of these Light Warriors, to the point where it was hurting Bahamut's ears. However, they were silent for now, too sleepy to care much as they went into their places and prepared for the day. After that, for about two hours, things were silent. The day unfolded like any other. Bahamut continued to sense growing evil in the world, and he saw that the espers hadn't made a move without him yet. He was left to contemplate and wait.

Then, abruptly, the great esper perked up his head. Something struck his ear. A sound of something...a very strange sound. It had been a while since he had heard it...so far back that he couldn't remember. But something in his memory registered again when he heard this noise. Something struck him from it as familiar. However, he couldn't place it. All he knew was that he could hear it. Khan and Singh noticed his reaction, and were puzzled by it. But as the sound grew louder, their own heightened hearing picked up on it. They turned and looked to the source as Bahamut did, and all three were soon gazing out to the front of the chamber. The sound was coming from outside, and it was growing closer.

"Master...what is that sound?" Singh asked. "I've never heard anything like it before."

"Is it an esper?" Khan ventured.

"No..." Bahamut murmured in reply. This confirmed one thing. It was something only he had heard, and it had been years ago when he heard it. Before Khan or Singh were born. But what was it?

The sound drew closer and closer, seeming to come from some great distance. But there was no distance to travel. The island that Bahamut was on was small. All of the dragon islands were connected via the underground, but what stuck above the surface was very little. Only a few strips of land in fact. The strange sound grew until it appeared to Bahamut as if it was right outside. He grew tense at this. He nearly rose, thinking of doing something about it. But just at that moment, the sound suddenly broke off and died rapidly. Within a matter of seconds, it ceased and shrank back into nothingness, fading into the wind that was no longer there. Khan, Singh, and Bahamut all stood warily, and looked out to the front chamber.

At length, however, someone emerged in the shadows. Immediately, Khan and Singh braced themselves for an attack. Bahamut, however, could sense the presence of what had come, and was more controlled. Within a few moments, the figure emerged into the light of the torches and exposed himself, and when he did Khan and Singh both relaxed. It was a brass dragon. However, Bahamut immediately realized, he knew no brass dragon had just made that sound. His curiousity was aroused, but he sensed no evil or trap coming from this, and so he endured it. He patiently waited for the dragon to come.

This new dragon seemed interested as well. He was enthusiastic and excited. He didn't even make it near the throne of Bahamut. He only came close enough to be in the light and Bahamut's vision. After that, he immediately threw himself down on the ground, prostrating himself before the King of Dragons. With that done, he immediately called out to him.

"Lord Bahamut! Something wondrous has happened!"

Bahamut paused a bit in response to this. Both Khan and Singh looked intrigued at it, and turned to their master to see his reaction. That statement told him little, however, and he gestured for the dragon to continue.

"The Light Warriors...they did not proceed into the Cavern of Earth."

_Typical..._ Bahamut darkly thought. Finally they show their colors. They knew they couldn't beat the evil there. It was time for them to do their best and get out while they could.

"They went to the Cavern of Ice instead." The brass dragon continued. "They found a thing called the Levistone there. They next went to the Ryukahn Desert. They used the stone to raise an ancient Lufenian vessel, a ship that could ride on the air."

Khan and Singh were both amazed to hear that. As for Bahamut himself, he raised an eyebrow as well. He had seen such a thing...but that was ages ago. It was before there were any dragon or human nations. He had thought after a thousand years that the Lufenians had lost it. But now that they were in the hands of these four humans...that was another vast credit to their race. What would they do with such a thing? Bahamut had only bad thoughts, but he said nothing else. He continued to listen...and as he did, something obvious struck him. That sound...he knew where it came from. But that would mean...

"My lord...they have found word of us. And...they have come."

With that, the brass dragon bowed once more, and then moved to one side. Khan and Singh's eyes both expanded in surprise, and Bahamut got his first look at humans in centuries.

The Light Warriors had come.

They were all young...little more than boys and girls. They seemed early teenage at best, which wasn't much for a human. One was dressed in red with only light shoulder armor, and carried a sword strapped to his side. The other dressed more casual. She was in green loose clothing with a green bandanna tying most of her hair back, with only a knife and light sword to function as weapons. The next was a young woman swathed in a white robe with a red trim, the hood pulled down close around her head. Finally, there was a young man who dressed almost entirely in black, save for a large, wide-brimmed, straw hat pulled over his head. Between the low hat and a high collar around his neck, one could barely see his face. But he had some power in his eyes that gleamed out. His eyes seemed to flash like yellow lights from the blackness around his face. None of them looked terribly impressive or hardy. They all looked rather pitiful and weak. And yet...as Bahamut looked at them...he sensed something else familiar in them as well...

The brass dragon bowed, and then withdrew himself from the chamber, never giving his back to the King of Dragons. Khan and Singh were amazed. They looked to each other in some confusion. They were expecting to be enthused and excited to see the Light Warriors there. They had dreamed of this. However...they had never actually seen a human in person before. They looked rather small and punitive, compared to their own size and the size of dragons. They only came up to the hip of the average dragon, and were much smaller than Bahamut. Not to mention they looked so young and weak... At any rate, they stood straight and tall. Bahamut himself gazed at them, but said nothing. These were the first humans ever to actually visit the dragon isles. That was intriguing in and of itself. However, Bahamut had lost his affinity for humans, and gave them no welcome or greeting. He merely drew himself up and gazed down at them. That caused something else odd. Every human he had ever met had recoiled in fear from him. All were captivated by his presence and majesty. But these humans were not afraid. He sensed some nervousness and anxiety in them, but no fear. And this fearlessness wasn't from arrogance, but rather was respect in place of fear. They regarded the dragon before them with respect, but nothing fearful. They stood there in silence after the brass dragon left. They didn't move for quite some time.

But then, at last, they came forward. They walked calmly and slowly, transversing the long hall. Small as they were, it took them some time to do so. Khan and Singh watched them like hawks the whole time, before a thought from Bahamut told them to assume the correct position. Then they looked out straight and took the appearance of being silent, bold guardians. Bahamut himself lay in his position and waited for them to come. At long last, they did reach the space before Bahamut. They stood there a moment...and then, to a bit of Bahamut's surprise, bowed down before him, dropping to their knees, not in worship but in respect. They gazed up to him, but they stayed down against the ground before him. Silence followed, and neither the humans nor the great esper spoke. Bahamut's slightest movements were loud enough to drown out the humans, but they did nothing.

At last, the white robed one spoke softly, in a very slang and rough tongue of the espers themselves. "...Lord Bahamut, Father-Of-All-Dragons..."

Bahamut snorted once. The hot breath in his nostrils blasted across the humans from that simple gesture. Their hats and hoods were almost blown off, and they leaned back a little. "You grasp the esper tongue...but listening to you is like a deaf mute braying as a donkey to hear it." He addressed in the human language. "Speak your native tongue. I can understand that."

Bahamut's very voice made the voice of the humans sound small, puny, and almost comical. His voice resounded throughout the cave, while there's barely filled the small area they stood in. At any rate, the white robed one went silent. They paused for a moment, and then the red one spoke again, seeming to be their leader. "...Lord Bahamut...we come to you in a dark hour of the world..."

"I am well aware of what hour it is." Bahamut coldly retorted, cutting off the human. "You must think little of me indeed if you think I did not know what is transpiring."

The young man paused, but then spoke again. "...We...we have traveled far..."

"I know all about your journey as well." Bahamut cut off quickly. "You think I am blind to that as well? I know you are the so-called Light Warriors. I know that you seem to think that you are capable of fulfilling a fragmented legend of human origin. So far, you have only told me things I already know. If you came to just tell me news, I have plenty of messengers already to tell me such things. If that is your purpose, then go. If not, then state it at once."

The four paused again, not expecting such a rough response obviously. They balanced themselves and took deep breaths. A bit of fear was in them now. They seemed to pick up on the power that Bahamut held, and it startled them. However, the leader soon spoke again.

"Legends spoke of a mighty dragon king that resided in these islands. We came to find you. We came because...we need your help."

Bahamut paused at that. He said nothing for a moment. Khan and Singh looked in for a brief moment, but then looked out and appeared bold again. Bahamut leaned back slightly, a bit more intrigued at this, and spoke again. "And what sort of help do you think the 'Father-Of-All-Dragons' would give you?"

"You know of our journey. You know of the crystal shards we possess." The green one suddenly spoke up. "We have borne them our whole lives. Our parents told us to keep them safe and to one day restore the Crystals with them. We didn't know what they meant until recently."

"We now know that there are Four Crystals that keep our world in balance." The black added. "We know it was once a pristine and good place, but that it was perverted to evil. We know the Crystals have gone dark, and this has caused it. We want to use our shards to relight them."

Bahamut snorted at this. The four humans recoiled a bit at this, but when they spoke again their voice was more pleading.

"We have found the Earth Crystal." The red one continued. "We thought we liberated it, but we sense a horrible evil guarding it. We know we don't have the strength to combat it. We need your help."

"Let me look at you more closely." Bahamut simply answered.

The four humans paused at this, but then looked at each other. After a moment, they nodded as one. They turned back to Bahamut, and inched a bit closer to him. They stayed on their knees however, not rising. Bahamut looked back at them, and looked over them all one by one. He started with the closest one, the red one. He said nothing for a few moments as he looked him over, but then eventually spoke.

"Somewhat rugged...shoestring muscles...but they are hard. You are not a human knight, are you?"

"No, my lord."

"I am not your _lord_." Bahamut snapped. "Are you a dragon?"

"No, my... No." The human answered, somewhat nervously.

"Then stop addressing me as one. What is your name?"

"...Darwin."

"I guess you are some human fighter then." With this, Bahamut turned his head to the green one. This one looked even more nervous, but he scanned her as well.

"Light clothing...strong, yet more lithe... You are a more agile warrior, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"However, that wasn't good enough until recently, was it? You used to use your body for hurting others, didn't you?"

"...No."

"Don't lie to me." Bahamut nearly hissed. "Your mind and soul are as transparent as glass to me. I burn liars and I rend their flesh. I'll ask you again. You used to use your body for hurting others, didn't you?"

"...I did."

"You were a common thief, correct?"

"Yes, but-"

"I am not concerned with 'but'."

"I gave up that way of life, sir."

"Why?"

"...I realized it was petty, and only did more wrong to an already wronged world."

"How noble of you." Bahamut responded in a tone laced with sarcasm. "And your name?"

"Tuck."

Bahamut snorted. "That is what mothers do to children when they put them to bed, thief." He turned his head away and looked to the white one next.

"You are as weak as a baby...your spirit is strong, however. You are one of those white mages, aren't you?"

"Yes. I am Lucinda."

"Who trained you?"

"I...trained myself sir."

"That would explain why everything else about you is feeble and worthless besides your spirit." Bahamut dismissed. He turned at last to the black one. He paused for a moment on him, before snorting.

"Well, well...what have I done to warrant the presence of a dark wizard?"

"...I am only a black mage, sir."

"You'd love to be a dark wizard though, wouldn't you? Your power calls on the forces of destruction."

"...It does, sir..."

"And you think yourself a savior of the world with such powers?"

"...No sir. I only want to do my part."

"With black magic?"

"...Even destruction can be used for good or ill, depending on its recipient and purpose, my lord. You yourself...are tremendously powerful with great destructive abilities."

"Hmm." Bahamut answered. "You've given the best answer I've heard yet. Your name?"

"Harbaro."

"Very well." Bahamut answered, leaning back again, and surveying the four once again. "Darwin, Tuck, Lucinda, and Harbaro... Four little human children who have come to the King of Dragons to gain his power. And what, I might ask you, led you to believe that I would ever put myself at your beck and call, like a trained dog?"

Darwin swallowed, but answered with a head shake. "We did not want to command you, sir..."

"Then what power did you think I could give you?" Bahamut cut off.

"Sir...the greatest human warrior of all time was the Dragoon that you trained." Lucinda protested. "You taught him the secrets of his power. "

Bahamut smiled at this. He gave a short laugh in response, and kicked his head back a little. "Ah, so you _do_ want me to be your lord. You want me to train you until you are strong enough to defeat this evil that guards the Crystal. You've come to me in search of training."

The four eagerly nodded in response to this.

Bahamut continued to smile and gave a nod of his own. "I see." He simply answered. "Very well." With that, Bahamut raised a claw and pointed it back to the entrance to the cave. "You may leave the same way that you came. Good day."

The optimistic looks of the Light Warriors immediately fell. Their looks grew fearful, and soon they began to plead with him. "Lord Bahamut!"

"Please!"

"You must help us!"

Bahamut's smile vanished at that, and turned to a frown. "I _must_ do nothing, little children." He snapped back. "You four are small and pathetic. Your puny bodies and souls are nothing. You are rugged, young, and inexperienced. And you know nothing. If you did, then perhaps you would know this. The reason the Crystals turned dark...the reason this Planet has turned to waste...the reason that everything is dying bit by bit...is because of _you_. You and your whole race. For thousands upon thousands of years have I watched you and your people. For one generation to the next, I saw your race engage in evils and wickedness the likes of which you would never believe. For that time I watched and waited for what little good was in your race to come out and to win out over this evil. But it never did. The good died and vanished. Hate continued to grow and fester like an infection ina wound. And now, your evil has gone too far. It is the evil of men that now clouds the Crystals. It is their wickedness that is rampant on the Planet that eclipses them. The very world is sick and dying from your evil. And you come before me, meager and pathetic as you are...claiming to have the crystal shards that have been lost before your father's, father's, father's, father's ancestors walked the earth...and you think that you can make a difference? You think that because you have small glowing shards of glass that you can relight the Crystals? Even if you did have them, you are weak. Weak in spirit and mind. Your whole race is weak. No hand of man will ever relight the Crystals. No man could survive long enough to. And even if you did, what then? How long do you think it would be before the darkness of your race covered them again?"

Bahamut expected them to be silent, to endure this accusation and then withdraw. However, he saw no change in them. They looked somewhat hurt when Bahamut accused their race...but it didn't last. Their boldness and defiance remained. They continued to hang on. They bowed down a bit lower to Bahamut and turned their heads down, but they did not falter.

"Lord Bahamut...you speak of men caving in to evil and falling for it."

"I cannot deny that many of us did do horrible things."

"Until now, we've done little to change it as a race."

"Perhaps we have done much to hurt the world and injure it."

"But we now wish to make a stand against it, sir."

"We want to stop it."

Bahamut frowned. "After all these years of evil and wickedness, you think that you can just turn back? You think you can just one day oppose it and make any sort of difference?"

"Even if we can't, Lord Bahamut..." Darwin responded. "We cannot turn back time. Whether or not this is the best time or not doesn't matter. We can only oppose this evil now. The only other options are to wait or do nothing. Neither of them would do any good. If we have to die, then we die. But we must try to help now."

Bahamut snorted. "Try." He sneered. "Do you actually think that in the hand of your race this would be possible? Do you think you could truly relight the Crystals? Do you think it's possible in your hands? Knowing all you know of the darkness of your own race?"

"Lord Bahamut...you may think little of our legends..." Lucinda responded. "But we do. We have believed in them our whole life. You may have little faith in humans, but we do. They are who we have interacted with and depended on our whole lives. We can depend on nothing else. We believe. If you don't believe it, then try our hearts. See if we aren't pure enough."

They went silent after that, and said no more. Bahamut frowned for a moment and gazed at them. He sighed slightly and thought for a moment. But then, he looked at them harder. There was something familiar about them...but he couldn't remember what. Perhaps scanning them would tell after all. And so, with a bit of a sigh, he looked at them hard. Slowly, he closed his eyes, and looked over them. He had scanned humans intensely long before. That had been back in the days of Palad. At that time, he noticed a great innocence in the boy. He saw the potential for evil, yes. But his desires didn't encourage that. He did not want it. He was motivated only by good and nothing else, a desire to help others. But after him, most humans had given in more to their dark side. They encouraged it and used it. At this point, many humans had given in to their dark sides. Bahamut could feel it in the world strongly. Even here he could feel it. The humans had to be dark indeed by now...

...So Bahamut was amazed at what he saw.

These four...seemed pure.

Bahamut didn't believe it at first. After all, in this world of evil, what human could be like this? Could any still exist? Could they be born? Surely it was impossible... But he was wrong. They were weak in many ways...but their spirits were pure. Their souls were clean. They too had the potential for evil in them, but they had not indulged it. Like Palad...like the Dragoon...they had innocent spirits. Even the thief, who may have once indulged darkness, no longer did so. Her heart was as pure as the rest. She had turned fully from her evil, just as she said. She wasn't lying. Their spirits were strong and good...amazing as it was. Somehow, in this world of evil...they had stayed true and clean...at least as clean as the espers. Bahamut had not sensed such strength since those times long ago. He thought they had died out. But these type of spirits...perhaps they were for real. Their souls, not stained by evil...in theory, if they had the crystal shards...it might just be possible for them to relight the Crystals.

But that was still impossible. They'd never survive long enough to touch them. And Bahamut refused to believe that they even had the real crystal shards. And yet...he thought with a sigh, he had to admit one thing. He had been unfair to these four humans. They truly didn't have dark desires in their minds or hearts. Their intentions were pure. Weak and pathetic as they might have been, and flawed as their thinking was...they truly did want to make a difference. Everything they had done until now was genuinely for the good. Their hearts were good, even if they lacked the power. And in this world of evil, to see four humans of this pure heart and intentions...that was something remarkable. Bahamut sighed again, and adopted a softer look. He had treated them wrong at least, and he owed them an apology for that. However, it changed little else.

"...Even if you could," Bahamut continued, a bit quieter. "It would not matter. There is too much evil in the world. The Crystals would be dark again in no time."

"It's better that we purify them and save the world for a few days than never." Tuck flatly answered.

"You would only have to do it again."

"Then we will do it again. Again and again. Forever, if need be." Harbaro simply answered. "If that's what it takes, we will do it and much more."

Bahamut paused again at this. He was actually caught a little by this answer. He had not expected such devotion even from these humans. Yet they gave it. All of them looked firm and resolute. They would do this if need be. They didn't care about themselves. Bahamut was stunned at it. He hadn't seen such selfless humans in such a long time. He didn't even think they still existed. But they apparently did. These humans were serious. Indeed, they were exceptional creatures. Again the esper marveled at how such a perverse race could have put them into the world. He sighed again as he looked at them. They did not change or move. They were determined to stay the course. Bahamut realized he wouldn't dissuade them. They would remain until he enabled them to become stronger. They had true devotion and had committed their pure hearts to this goal. The Dragon King felt more of his anger and hate melt away at this. It was replaced by pity. Such noble little creatures...throwing such energy to futility... They were truly serious about this. They weren't going to give up or be talked out of it.

At length, the esper sighed again. "I see in you that there is some value. You have good spirits. However, you should realize that is far from enough. I knew a good spirit thousands of years ago. He was mercilessly slaughtered by the foes you now seek to conquer. There is no human alive who can slay them. I sincerely doubt you will be the first. Pure as your hearts are, you likely still lack enough. It's not anything to be ashamed of. Your quest requires exceptional men and women, even beyond those of your disposition." Bahamut paused a moment at this. He inhaled deeply, and looked over them again. There were strong of heart...but could that be enough? Could such tiny beings really have power? Bahamut had not yet seen such. They were throwing their lives away by trying. An esper needed to do this, not a man. And yet...they had slain the Dark Elf...and the Vampire...

"...If you want to prove yourselves to me, you must pass a test." He finally stated. "There is a castle that still stands on the Northern Continent. The Fiend ofWind and the Fiend of Water destroyed the civilization there long ago, but one ancient castle still stands. You will see it from the airship that you have recovered. You will not be able to land in front of it. You will have to land far away and walk for a month to get there. There is a fearsome wilderness that leads up to that, filled with dense forest, toxic swamp, and burning desert. The vilest and strongest of creatures live there. If you manage to survive until you reach the castle, you will find that it is infested with evil. Dark, angry spirits swarm it, angry at what happened to them in life and furious at the Fiends for cutting it short. It is a mane of evil now, and that evil will be attracted to the light in your souls and will attempt to blot it out. The castle itself is a lethal maze, manipulated by the supernatural spirits and almost impossible to find the way out of again. But you will have to find your way to the center of the castle itself. There, you will meet a horror so evil and pulsing with wickedness that only the purest and strongest of hearts will be able to defeat it. Once you have destroyed it, you will find a Symbol of Courage...something that proves you have done what I have commanded you, and attests that you have lived through it all and can tell the tale. Return this symbol to me. This will mean another month journeying through the wild back to your airship. But bring it to me...and you will become my students."

Bahamut expected fear and apprehension from this. And indeed, he did sense some fear among the four warriors. But their determination would not waver. Their spirits stayed strong. They bit down their fear and anxiety, and bowed lower to Bahamut. Then, to the esper's great surprise, they announced in one accord their response.

"Thank you, Lord Bahamut!"

"Thank you for this privilege!"

"We will not fail you."

"We swear we will return."

With that, the Light Warriors rose up to their feet. They turned, and immediately, nearly rushing like children eager to go outside, they marched back toward the entrance of the chamber. Bahamut watched them, but then bowed his eyes and merely waited for them to leave. He sighed again as he heard their footsteps fade away, and as they vanished back into the darkness. After that, he soon heard the airship outside start again. Its engines revved to full power, and soon he heard it take off. Moments later, the sound faded into nothingness as the airship went to full speed. The ship took off for the Northern Continent, and silence once again reigned through the chamber.

Once it did, Khan and Singh both turned to Bahamut in shock.

"Master...how could you!"

Bahamut kept his eyes down and didn't answer. He knew what he had told them to do. He had told them to meet the same challenge he demanded of the highest order dragons. This was a test of both strength of will as well as overall bravery and power. It was a test of purity of heart. He had been looking for a new king of dragons to take over in his stead for some time now. Each one, he demanded to complete this test. Each dragon that had taken it had died thus far. Many took it early on, and died just as easily. Nowadays, dragons devoted themselves to training to be capable of it. Some had spent a hundred years preparing for the trial, and still were not ready. And now, he had just sent four humans to do it.

"They'll be killed!"

"If they cannot pass this trial," Bahamut simply answered. "Then I am merely doing to them what Lich would have done. If they cannot beat this foe, then the Earth Fiend will destroy them without batting an eye."

"Master!" Khan whined. "What if they really have the Crystals? What if they are for real? Then what will you have done to them?"

"If they are genuine," Bahamut simply replied again. "Then they should pass this trial. After all...how can their legend be fulfilled if they are dead?"

* * *

To be continued...


	17. Faith, Hope, and Love

_Three Months Later_

_I should just forget about them. They are dead._

_...But I can't._

Bahamut thought of the Light Warriors often now. Much as he hated it, he was as addicted to them as Khan and Singh were. Those two, along with all other dragon kind, waited in anxious anticipation for their return. They hoped and prayed that they would come back. They already believed that they were the true Light Warriors, and that they could do it. But Bahamut did not...not yet at any rate. It had been three months now, more than enough time to go there and to come back. Yet they were still gone. Bahamut's small amount of hope was beginning to fade, and as it did, Khan and Singh grew more and more anxious and nervous about what was transpiring.

Bahamut couldn't help but feel he had been too hard on them. He had changed since meeting them. He had seen humans with good hearts and souls. He had thought such were extinct. And sending them on this trial sent them to their deaths. They would not be able to conquer it. He should have sheltered them...befriended them... But no. He could not afford to. The path they desired, and could not be swayed from, was dark and dangerous. They needed to wake up to the danger of it at once. They were doomed to die if they sought to accomplish this challenge. No human could endure it, and he still believed that. Somewhere...he hoped that their resolution had failed. Perhaps on fighting for a week in the forest, they would give up and return to their old lives. Perhaps they could yet win more humans over to goodness, and turn the Crystals in that way. But he knew they would not. He sensed their determination. It could not be put down so easily. So now, he feared they were dead.

_Poor fools..._ He thought. _They should have listened to me. I know much more than they do. But they clinged to that legend and wouldn't be swayed... I can't say I blame them, but if given enough time perhaps they would have given up this foolish quest. Now it's too late. Those poor souls... What little good was left on this Planet in men may have died with them... It-_

Abruptly, however, Bahamut froze in mid-thought. He looked up and heard a noise.Whenhe did...Bahamut's mind went blank. He was shocked.It couldn't be possible... And yet, Khan and Singh began to hear it as well. They perked up at the sound, and their memory of it was far more clearer than Bahamut's.Their eyes filled with delight and joy. At the same time, Bahamut merely shook his head in stunned silence. It couldn't be true... They had to have come back early. They had to have broken off. No human...could possibly do what even the mightiest dragons could not!

Bahamut's head was filled with doubts even as he heard the ship stop before the entrance. It still was as he heard the footsteps come again...much slower this time...and staggered. It wasn't until they emerged from the darkness, and Bahamut bit his own tongue to make sure he wasn't dreaming...that he knew it had to be so. Khan and Singh could barely contain their shock at seeing it, or their joyful amazement at it. Bahamut stared on and tried to keep his standard appearance on seeing them...

But it was them.

They were half-starved to death, looking as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. They seemed feverish as well. Their clothing was torn and their weapons chipped and blood stained. They were covered with nasty wounds. The white mage had obviously exhausted her power, for their wounds seemed fresh and dripping. They dragged the black mage with them, who could no longer walk and seemed to be losing consciousness. They were stumbling over themselves. They seemed so tired...as if they had not stopped walking in days. Yet they still approached the throne.

With a moan, Tuck swooned and passed out halfway to Bahamut. Lucinda gasped and slipped, and dropped Harbaro a bit later, unable to carry him any further. She staggered forward a bit more before falling flat on her face. Darwin alone continued forward, before he too fell to the ground twenty feet before Bahamut. He collapsed and panted hard for a long time, struggling to get his breath. But then, somehow, he dragged himself onto all fours...and pathetically began to drag his bleeding, sweating body up to Bahamut. He stumbled again on the way, and then dragged his body with his forearms forward. A bloody smear was left on the ground in his wake. At last, a foot from the throne, he gave out entirely. He fell to the ground. He panted a moment longer...and then, with his last ounce of strength, extended a quivering, bleeding hand laced with scars and old wounds forward to the Dragon King. It had a hand firmly clenched in a death grip fist. Bahamut extended his neck at this, and looked down to see what it was. As he did, he saw Darwin open his palm, and then give out one last sigh before he too passed out. His open hand fell to the ground.

A simple rat tail was in his hand.

Bahamut felt as if he could be knocked over with a feather. His beliefs were turned over on their head. He quivered with overwhelmed shock. Khan and Singh moved up and looked over the palm as well, but they said nothing. They were confused at this, for no one save Bahamut knew what the Symbol of Courage actually looked like. But Bahamut did. It was the last thing one would expect. It was a simple rat tail.

They had done it.

"Remarkable...they passed the test."

Both Khan and Singh snapped to Bahamut at that. Their eyes filled with amazement, and then they looked to each other.

"They passed?"

"They passed!"

"Alright! YAHOO!"

Bahamut was still stunned. He blinked in astonishment at this. However, he managed to push this aside for a moment. He shook his head, and then turned to Khan and Singh and gestured to the fallen humans. "Enough chatter. Both of you, take these four away to rest. Give them an elixir and put them to bed. The fact that they aren't dead now is enough to overwhelm me."

Khan and Singh both grinned with delight. However, they nodded and immediately did as their master said. They leapt down and quickly scooped up the passed out humans, and began to take them away to a separate cave to be tended to. As they did, Bahamut leaned back and stared out blankly ahead into the cave. This was something he had not expected at all. They had passed the test. They had found the Symbol of Courage. That could only mean one thing...that they had faced the unholy creature that Bahamut spoke of. If they hadn't, they never would have gotten it. Their souls were strong indeed...stronger even than a dragon's. Far stronger. Their bodies were frail and weak, but their spirits had taken them beyond their limits and had enabled them to succeed in their endeavor. It was impossible...but it had happened just the same. And Bahamut didn't know what to make of any of it.

However, he did feel himself smile a little.

...He was glad they were alive.

* * *

The next day, the Light Warriors had returned to their old positions. They had washed and had their clothing repaired. Now, they again kneeled before Bahamut in his main chamber. Khan and Singh both beamed as they looked ahead reverently, and placed before Bahamut and the four warriors was their prize...a rat tail.

"You did better than I expected, young humans." Bahamut addressed them. "I never expected to hear from you again, in all honesty. But you succeeded. Your actions themselves have proven that you are of exceptional power and spirit. You are no mere altruistic humans."

"But why a rat tail, sir?" Darwin addressed in genuine puzzlement. "The castle was full of grand treasure and symbols, and yet it was a rat tail that you desired. Why?"

"Because the meaning of the trial was not in possessions, material things, or works of men." Bahamut simply answered. "This trial was not about raiding an ancient castle. It was about proving your own strength and ability. I desired you to prove your worth, and in doing so you needed to go as far as the very heart of the castle and kill the fell creature that you found there. What sign that you received to confirm your victory was not important. Its sole utility was to testify that you had done it. The victory that you acheived...the victory that you set out for...was to be achieved within yourselves. External prizes meant nothing. Those will fade and wither with time. What you won and what you proved was something that could not be taken from you. It was something that has value to you and you alone. Let that tail, which has value to you and you alone, be a testament of that."

The four warriors bowed their heads slightly and took that in. They said nothing, but contemplated Bahamut's words. The Dragon King allowed them to for a brief moment. But once that was done, he leaned back a bit. He inhaled deeply and thought for a moment. Since the humans had returned, he had to think of something new. This changed many things. His thoughts over the past night had dwelt long on the humans before him. He wasn't exactly sure what was best to do with them now. He had new options available to him. These humans were exceptional. Very exceptional. Bahamut did not want to see them throw away their lives so rashly. They were shining examples of their dark race. He did not wish to see them die. Their very nature...it appealed to him. He could see this now. It had appealed to his fellow dragons and to his servants in the same way. The inner light...the spark of humanity...it touched him and grew on him. He had loved it once in Palad. Now that he saw others like him, he remembered that he did love it. He felt an ever growing affection for these humans...

Finally, Bahamut leaned forward a bit, and grew dark in his expression. His voice went lower, and he spoke softly to them. "Well...you four have made it this far. Because of that, I wish to make you an offer. And before you answer, think long and hard about it. You will not get a better offer for quite some time, and there is much to consider in it that you are probably unwilling to accept. So be patient and listen.

"I spoke the truth about your race. Surely you must sense it. They are a doomed race. They have come too far to go back. They grow worse every day. Even now, I can feel their evil growing. It was this evil that shadowed the Crystals in the first place. It is because of it that this world is dying. Your race cannot be saved. And as long as they exist, the Crystals will never be safe from destruction. I know this to be true. If you think hard about it...you will reach the same conclusion."

The four warriors bowed their heads slightly, but did not answer. They stayed silent and listened. Bahamut inhaled deeply, and continued tiredly.

"...Darwin, Tuck, Lucinda, Harbaro... You need not share this fate. I can sense an inner light in you the likes of which I have never seen before. Humanity would be a glorious and great race indeed if they issued from you. You four have great innocence and purity in you. I have not seen the like in some time. You have good hearts and souls. But what you seek to do...to save the Planet yourselves...it is madness. You will throw your lives away if you try. Death is all that awaits you. If you let yourselves be killed, then what is good and innocent in humanity will die with you.

"You are great people...brave and good. I and the rest of my kind would be honored to have you and your descendents live with us. Already, we have been preserving much of the native species of the world as it dies. We have been keeping them alive until the fiends can be conquered and the Crystals restored. Once the rest of humanity is gone, the world will be safe and good again. Then the Crystals can be restored without fear. Then the world will be at peace again. Then...the world can be yours. You can have it all to yourselves. A new nation can arise from you and your generations.

"You have a choice. You can come with me...and I will take you to my world. There, you need not fear or want ever again. One day, your children will inherit the entire Planet. It is a great offer, and one that will ensure the continuation of the kindness within you to the future. Or...you can choose the other path. This path leads to struggling...pain...misery...and death. And if you die, there will be nothing left in your race worth saving. It would be worse than extinction from your race if you four were to leave it. You are too great in spirit and character to allow that. You cannot beat these foes, I tell you. You should allow I and my people to, as we did years ago. However...you have passed the trial. You have earned the right to chose your own path. I will support you regardless of what you chose. All I ask is that you consider what is possible...and to think of what could happen to the Crystals. If you truly do possess the shards...then know this. Your failure will mean the end of the Crystals. If they lose their only chance to restore their light, then all will be doomed. Think of this. Think of your futures."

Bahamut finished, and silence reigned once again. He looked down at the Light Warriors, and left them to think this over. They paused for a few moments. But they did not change. In the end, Harbaro raised his head slowly. His burning yellow eyes gazed simply into Bahamut's, calm and plain without any excessive emotion or passion.

"Lord Bahamut...if our roles were reversed...and it was four dragons bowing before a kingdom of humans that told them to forsake the rest of their race and come with them...would you accept?"

Bahamut sighed inwardly at that. He knew what that meant.

"So you are resolute in your choice?"

They all nodded as one slowly.

Bahamut paused a moment longer, and sighed deeply. He bowed his head, but in the end gave a small nod. "So be it. Know that I will demand everything you can give me and more."

The four Light Warriors looked up at this. Already, a spark of earnest and enthusiasm filled their eyes. Eagerness stretched their features, and they tightened their bodies in anticipation. Bahamut looked over them all, and then gave a nod.

"Now, it appears that many races of the world have hope in you yet. You have already been gone for three months from the face of the Planet. The training I give you will require years. In that time, those who have hope in you will lose it as they all believe you to be dead. Therefore, I have something special in mind."

With that, the Dragon King rose at last. His wings unfurled and his body stretched as he went up to his full height. He was very impressive, and he sensed dragonawe even within the Light Warriors as he rose. They controlled it, however, and patiently waited in a kneeling position. As for Bahamut, he turned his head down and looked to his attendants, and then motioned to them. "Khan, Singh... Leave us. You are to exit the cave, and once you have done so turn around, reenter it again, and return to your posts."

Both Khan and Singh formed looks of puzzlement at this. They looked to each other in a bit of a confused way. But they would not dispute their master. And so, both of them turned and did as they were told. They both began to walk down the long hall toward the exit. As for Bahamut, he motioned to the Light Warriors before him. "Rise and join me."

The four warriors looked to each other, but then rose and did as they were told. They were puny runts compared to Bahamut, but soon they found themselves joining him as they rose and followed him up to his own podium. As they came up to it, Bahamut turned and walked back to the wall, off of the podium all together. He bent over and grasped something with both claws. Once he did, he leaned back up, turned, and walked back to the center of the podium. The Light Warriors looked, and saw that Bahamut had brought a rather ornate chest with him. He set it down right on the center of the podium, and immediately opened it up.

"I gathered these last night while you four rested." He informed them. After opening it, he soon began to pull items out of it. First, he pulled four bedrolls out of it, one after another. Each one that he pulled out, he tossed to one of the Light Warriors. They were a bit surprised, but each one caught it one by one. After that, he pulled out four pouches, and then tossed them to each one. He pulled out one pouch for himself as well. He held this in front of him and shook it. It was bulging with small items, like pebbles or seeds.

"These are special seeds called Kupo Nuts." Bahamut explained. "They are the only food that moogles eat. However, if a human was to eat one, after finding it potent and bad tasting...they would discover that they would not need to eat again for a whole month." After saying this, Bahamut looked up and to the back. He saw that Khan and Singh were just about out of the chamber now. They were vanishing into the shadows, but he could still hear them. Seeing this, Bahamut reached into the chest one last time. When he grasped an item this time, he moved very slowly and carefully with it. The Light Warriors saw this and watched closely. As they did, they saw Bahamut very slowly draw out what appeared to be some sort of silver hourglass. It was pure and clean as crystal, but it seemed to very ornate. The grains shimmered like irredescence, and a heavy silver metalwork was around the top and the bottom of it. Bahamut gently pulled this closer to him, and moved his claws on it. Slowly, he turned the top of it very gently.

"Five should do it." He spoke aloud, somewhat musing to himself, as he looked up and saw Khan and Singh. He heard that they were almost out now. Seeing this, Bahamut gave a nod, and spoke to the four warriors again as they neared the exit. "Get close...and get ready." He instructed them. The Light Warriors were puzzled, but they did as they were told. They came in closer to the great creature. Bahamut continued to wait just a few moments longer. He listened all the while...right up until he heard Khan and Singh ascend the staircase leading out. He heard them hit the last step...and then he heard them take a step outside. When that happened, he reacted at last. He turned the hourglass over, starting the sands, and put it down right in the center of the podium platform.

Immediately, the world exploded into brilliant white. The four humans recoiled in shock and pain from it, covering their eyes and dropping their new possessions. They grunted and whined for a moment in pain. But then, they slowly shook their heads and gradually recovered. When they slowly reopened their eyes and looked up again, however, their faces turned to shock. The cave was gone. Only the large podium remained. The podium itself was large and expansive, more than big enough to allow Bahamut and them to move around on. But the chamber itself was gone. The podium was now surrounded on every side by what looked like swirling white mist. It gleamed as if it was light, and it whirled around as if it was a turbulent storm. It swirled and swam about itself, seeming to be almost alive as it washed around in a massive circle. It spread all around them, and when it broke the four could see nothing but emptiness. It stretched on into oblivion forever. They had descended into another realm it seemed. They were amazed by this, and looked all around.

"Wow..." Lucinda remarked...and soon received another shock. Frosty breath came out from her mouth.

The other humans recognized this quickly. Soon, Tuck had folded her arms over herself and remarked on the change as she shuddered. "It's freezing in here...like the Cavern of Ice..."

Darwin looked around a bit, and then took a step. When he did, however, he soon found himself grunting to do so. "Everything's heavier in here as well..."

Harbaro gasped a bit on the air, and soon clutched his throat. "The air is so thin...it's like on a mountaintop..."

"Welcome to your new home." Bahamut addressed, silencing them all with one sharp phrase. They all turned as one to Bahamut at this, forgetting about their reaction and looking to the esper. Bahamut himself seemed unaffected. However, the Light Warriors were soon going to the ground. They began to sweat and pant, and they started to wrap their arms around themselves and shake. Bahamut's face had grown darker now, as he went into seriousness. He stood before them in his full height, and gestured around himself.

"Allow me to introduce to you a parallel realm that was created by a clever device made by my siblings Starlet and Leviathan." Bahamut explained. "You have not gone anywhere at all. You are now simply existing out of the flow of time. You have gone past the point of no return. Now, you have no choice but to remain with me here for the next five years."

"Five years!" Darwin remarked in shock, while the others looked similarly surprised. They were all overwhelmed at that sudden revelation.

"Five years is the bare minimum." Bahamut flatly replied. "If you don't improve well enough, trust me. I won't hesitate to turn the hourglass back another five years the moment that we exit this. You agreed to be trained by me, and we have much to do. Rest assured, I will provide you with plenty of stimulation in that time. We have little time to waste. Here, you will be free from any concerns about the world or its people. You can focus your entire lives to improving yourselves. At the end of five years, don't worry. You will emerge right back in my cave, just in time to see my two assistants Khan and Singh enter and wonder why you suddenly look five years older. Only a second will have gone by in the real world."

"But...what's with this world?" Tuck chattered.

"There are no Crystals here, and hence the four elements are weakened to almost nothing." Bahamut responded. "Let this world serve as a reminder to you of what will happen if you fail. There is no water or moisture on the air here. All moisture you will get from the Kupo Nuts, as well as sustenance for there is no food. The earth is warped so you will all find yourselves three times as heavy. The wind is weak so there will only be half as much air as normal here. Finally, fire has turned cold, so the constant temperature will barely be above freezing. This inhospitable environment is the perfect training ground. It will be a struggle for you four to simply survive in this barren wasteland.

"Here are the rules. You will all sleep eight hours a day. Once a month, you will pause for ten minutes to properly injest and swallow a Kupo Nut. The rest of the time, you will work yourselves to death training. As a reward, you will become incredibly strong. During this time, do not wander out into the mist, or you will once again reenter the flow of time, and you will remain at your current level of strength while the rest of your companions gain it incredibly. By coming here, you have subjected yourselves to me. You are now all my slaves. So I strongly advise against any of you running out on your master. If you get fed up and leave, hope it's on a good day. Then I might merely throw you out and tell you never to enter my sight again. If it's a bad day, I might demand something from you for the five years _I_ will waste training you...

"Now, for the initial test. I want to know what I have to work with, so here is your first trial. I am about to engage you at onlyten percentof my total power. This should give you some idea of what you're dealing with. I could destroy all Four Fiends myself at this level. See if you can defeat me."

The Light Warriors looked a bit nervous at that. They looked to each other a little, wondering how they were supposed to deal with this. However, they did want training, and they had faith in each other. In the end, they gave nods to one another. After that, they turned back to Bahamut. They quickly broke apart from each other to fan out, spreading out into somewhat of a semi-circle that surrounded Bahamut. Tuck and Darwin drew their weapons. Harbaro and Lucinda both braced themselves to prepare to cast spells. Their looks became dangerous, and they readied themselves for combat. They planted their feets and gazed at Bahamut, waiting for his first move. For a few moments, there was silence. No one moved, but merely stood at the ready. Bahamut himself didn't even go into a ready position, however. He looked around at his opponents, standing there as he was when he announced the fight. In the end, however, he merely smiled and snorted.

"This flanking attack...fair for some strategies. But you should know that if you're opponent knows your weakness...you should move to guard it."

With that, Bahamut shot forward like a bolt of lightning. The Light Warriors could only vainly gape in surprise and follow him afterward as he shot straight at Lucinda and Harbaro. In a flash, he was on them, and struck them both with his huge scaly fists. Both humans were ripped off their feet, thrown through the air, and then landed on the ground almost at the edge of the podium.

"Your physical defenses are pathetic. An imp could best you." Bahamut addressed disapprovingly to them both. However, a moment later, he snapped back up and quickly dodged backward as Darwin charged in and swiped his sword at him. However, he had managed to duck back in time, and the sword hit nothing. Darwin quickly moved in, however, and the tiny human struggled to swipe his blade at the giant beast. But despite how large of a target he was, Bahamut easily dodged each blow. He smiled as he watched Darwin sweat and strain in the heavy environment to even lift his sword, let alone hit Bahamut with it.

"Your technique is as ragged and sloppy as a child splashing in the mud." Bahamut merely responded, before shooting out with a powerful kick that struck Darwin in the ribs and sent him flying aside as well. No sooner had he gotten down, however, than Tuck jumped in and proceeded to start swinging at Bahamut again. This one had better control over her actions. However, she was still far inadequate. Bahamut easily twisted around every blow, surprisingly agile for a weighed down dragon, before he lashed out and grabbed Tuck's forearm in a massive scaly fist. One clench was enough to make the thief yelp and drop a weapon.

"Your arrogance is your downfall. You should have worked with him instead of waiting for him to be bested by me." He told the thief...and then clenched his hand into a harder fist. He was satisfied when he heard, and felt, the bones snap in Tuck's arm. The girl instantly went white as a sheet, and they yelled in pain.

"What are you doing!" She screamed in agony, as the others began to stare in shock at the huge dragon and what he was doing.

"You think this is a game, children?" Bahamut answered with a calm smile. "I told you this was a trial. I'm trying to kill you here. What are you trying to do? Die? Or withstand my assault?"

Tuck looked up at Bahamut in shock and terror at the massive, monstrous dragon in response to that. He merely smiled as the other Light Warriors stood in stunned silence. Then, in a flash, he threw Tuck to one side and smashed her directly into Lucinda. Both of them went crashing to the ground. That, however, was actually a bonus of Bahamut. He was doing that on purpose, to give her a chance to heal. But that was the only bonus he'd give.

"You're starting to irritate me." Bahamut warned. "Come on! Do something significant before I get angry and actually start using some of my power."

The Light Warriors, however, were frozen in fear for a few seconds longer. They didn't move. This was more than they had bargained for. They didn't expect Bahamut to be so violent. Yet the esper showed no pity. He grit his teeth. His yellow eyes flashed with anger and power. He bared his claws and prepared for an assault. Finally, they snapped out of it. Fear and survival instincts took over, and they began to strike back. Harbaro put his palm to his face and began to chant. As he did, Darwin gave a war cry and shot straight at Bahamut. Soon, he was swiping at him harder and faster than ever, struggling to hit the dragon. Bahamut easily avoided each hit.

"What reckless wasting of energy and movement." Bahamut spoke as he calmly shook his head, still dodging Darwin. "What good is it to waste more power and tire yourself out, when your opponent has energy to spare to dodge your feeble moves?" With that, Bahamut lashed out another clawed foot and pinned Darwin's sword to the ground. After doing that, he swung his fist out and smashed it into the side of Darwin's head, knocking out a tooth and then sending his body flying across the room.

At that moment, however, Bahamut heard some arcane words being chanted. He turned his head to Harbaro, and saw that the black mage had changed. His hands were waving, and a spectral light was glowing around them. An aura suddenly exploded from out of his body, and a mystic symbol drawn of energy suddenly encircled the black mage. Moments later, he aimed his hands forward and spoke some sort of strange word. At that, a ball of fire suddenly swept up from the ground and surrounded the black mage, then swept itself around into the hands of the caster. After that, it formed a potent, blazing ball of heat, and then fired itself straight at the great esper. Bahamut actually snorted to even look at it...before turning around, flexing, and exposing his whole body to take the blow. Harbaro's yellow eyes bulged in shock as he watched this, and moments later the ball connected with the chest of the creature. The fire splattered out on all sides, and then thinned and dissipated all together.

"Such feeble, pathetic, so-called spells..." Bahamut sighed. "Here, allow me to show you true power. Pyrin."

With that, a massive red-hot ball of pure energy, ten times as powerful as Harbaro's, and blazing like fire from the sun itself, erupted from the mouth of Bahamut and sailed straight for the black mage. Harbaro could only gape in shock and fear before the ball struck him head on. The other Light Warriors looked, but all they saw was the black mage suddenly enveloped in a great ball of fire. An explosion of heat went around him, coloring the black mage yellow and red as it burned him from within and without. His clothing was roasted and vaporized. His flesh was horribly burned. The ball raged around him a few moments more before finally dying off. When it did...Harbaro, blackened and only wearing burnt scraps of clothing, collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Bahamut looked around for a moment after that, and soon his eyes rested on Lucinda and Tuck. Lucinda was bent over Tuck now, desperately trying to heal her wound. But when she looked and saw Bahamut, she panicked. Her eyes filled with fear. She became desperate to heal, and turned back and frantically tried to do it. But her concentration was gone now. She could do nothing. Bahamut slowly walked to her, listening to her gasp in fear as she tried to help. But it was no good.

"Completely collapsing under pressure...you're no help to your friends." Bahamut told her. Abruptly, he stretched out a fist and seized the white mage by the neck. He instantly crushed her windpipe, and then raised her off the ground. Lucinda's eyes bulged in shock. She struggled to undo the dragon's fist around her neck, but her feeble movements could do nothing. Bahamut merely brought her up to his face, and gazed at her simply. "Then again...you aren't much help to yourself, either." With that, he brought the tiny human down and his knee up, bringing it into her stomach and proceeding to break six ribs. Lucinda bent around the attack...and vomitted up blood immediately.

Tuck saw this from the ground. Immediately, her eyes filled with fury. Injured as she was, she brought up her sword and went for Bahamut. "Let her go...you damn monster!"

Bahamut merely extended his tail and wrapped it around her neck. Tuck immediately gagged as her own airway was shut off, and soon she was dragged off the ground to be slowly hanged at the end of Bahamut's tail. She gaped and gagged, and struggled to break free...but it was all useless and futile. He turned and smiled at her. "And what will you do about it, little nothing?" He calmly asked. With that, fully so that Tuck could see it, he drove his head forward and smashed it into Lucinda's skull. A sickening crack went out as it happened, and Lucinda immediately went limp. When he pulled his great crest back, it was dripping with blood. Tuck's eyes widened, and she clenched her teeth in anger and fought harder than ever. Bahamut calmly turned to her, snorted again, and then tossed Lucinda to one side. With that, he swung his tail down and bashed Tuck into the ground headfirst. Another sickening crack went out...and blood oozed forth again like a fountain. He pulled her off the ground again and looked at her. Her face and head were fractured, and she looked limp and lifeless. However, she somehow still moved in Bahamut's grasp despite her dead expression.

"Oh, you have life yet?" Bahamut asked her. "We can fix that." He proceeded to smash her twice as hard against the ground...cracking the pavement this time. Tuck moved no more after that, and Bahamut threw her lifeless body to the ground. With that, the great esper calmly looked around, searching for signs of something he might have forgotten... _Oh yes..._ He remembered, as he felt a teeny, tiny blow be struck at the back of his leg. He calmly turned, and saw a bloody, bruised, and enraged Darwin breaking his sword against Bahamut's leg.

"Damn you...damn _monster!_" He spat in violent anger at the esper.

Bahamut merely shook his head. "Not wielding that weapon at all as it was intended to be...ruining it with a futile move. How pathetic." With that, Bahamut turned his head around fully to face the enraged Darwin. Then, he opened his mouth and spoke another word. "Pyrin."

Within seconds, Darwin's sizzling corpse fell out of a ball of fire and landed on the ground lifelessly.

Bahamut snorted. He looked around at his handiwork, and saw all four Light Warriors, within less than a minute, hovering on death's doorstep. Within another minute, their injuries would have the better of them and they'd all be dead. So much for the hope of the world. Bahamut frowned at them, and began to wonder if he made a mistake. They had a long, long way to go to be a match for a fiend.

_Sigh...this is going to be harder than I thought._

With that, Bahamutheld out his hands to the fallen Light Warriors. Moments later, he transmitted some of his own regenerative power out of his body and sent it to them. He looked them over, and watched as their black skin turned pink, their bones reconnected, their blood seeped back into their wounds, and all the damage that had been done to them was instantly reversed. Their weapons even were mended, and their clothing regenerated. Within seconds, it was as if nothing had happened to them at all. Bahamut lowered his arms, and then walked a bit away, getting into a position where he could see them all. Slowly, as if they were waking up, the four warriors began to stir. Moments later, their eyes slowly opened, they shifted, and they began to rise. But then, one by one, they all remembered where they were...and what had happened. They instantly bolted upright, and glared at Bahamut in mixtures of fear and ferocity.

Bahamut felt their gazes, and snorted with his back to them. "Don't humiliate yourselves again by bothering to strike at me. The trial is over."

The Light Warriors were tensed up for a moment longer. They were shocked and confused at that. They hadn't expected anything so brutal or horrific. At last, however, Darwin snorted in disgust. He looked at Bahamut with a mixture of anger and shock. "What the hell did you think you were doing! You tried to kill us!"

At that, Bahamut wheeled around. His face was full of anger, and a dark presence was around him. The room seemed to grow darker, and Bahamut suddenly seemed twice as big and terrible. A deep throated reptillian growl was in his throat. He glared like death at Darwin, and immediately the young human lost his anger and became timid again. The esper glared at him a moment longer, then spat crossly.

"Do you not agree with my methods, human?" He raised a claw and pointed into the mist. "There's the door."

Darwin swallowed, and his anger quickly left him. He turned his head down, and said no more. He was still angry at what had happened, but he didn't dare dispute the dragon. They all were angry at that, but none of them dared say anything. They only looked down and said nothing. Bahamut turned and looked to them as well. He saw their faces, but he could read what was in their hearts. He knew what they were thinking. It only made him growl again. He snorted at them all, his breath so loud and strong that they all felt a hot blast in the cold air.

"No 'sirs' or 'masters' now, I see." Bahamut snidely remarked. "Well, too bad. I've grown accustomed to it now. Don't dare talk to me again unless you address me as master, because for the next five years, I _am_ your lord and master. I will break your bones when I feel like it. I will smash your face when I feel like it. I will grind you under my front claw when I feel like it. And the only thing I want to hear out of you is begging for more. Don't like it? Leave. You can leave whenever you want. I'm not keeping you here. You are the ones who came to me. If you want to cry like a child because this isn't anywhere as easy or conventional as you thought it would be, then run home to your mothers. I am neither your mother or your father, so I don't want to hear any crying infants.

"That said, if you will stop your moping for a moment, perhaps you could learn something from this instead of sulking. Do you know what I just did to you all? I became your enemy. I became your worst nightmare. Do you think me cruel and wicked? You know _nothing_ of cruelty, humans. _Nothing._ The Four Fiends _ate humans alive_. They tortured them for fun and merriment before they killed them. You think that was bad? That was my first time. The Fiends have done this for years. They think of nothing else except how to make humans suffer, and I assure you that after thousands of years they are quite good at it. They will make you suffer long and hard both physically and mentally. If there is a weak link in your group, they will seize it and then torture the rest of you by slowly dismembering the weak link. Is that understood? Now...do any of you have any solution to this problem?"

There was silent among the group for a while. They sat in silence for a few brief moments. Then, at last, Lucinda murmured something.

"...Don't have a weak link."

Bahamut inclined his head to her at this. He put a claw to his ear and leaned in closer. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit deaf. What did you just say?"

"Don't have a weak link." She repeated, raising her head a bit and speaking more clearly.

_"Do not have...a weak link!"_ Bahamut bellowed out, glaring at all of them as he did so. In response, the four bowed their heads and looked more low and pathetic than before. He blasted on after that. "That means one thing! Your group is only as good as the worst member of your group! That means there isn't going to be _any_ worst member of your group. And guess what? After what you just showed me..._you have nothing but weak links!_ I don't even know where to begin with you! You didn't work together. You have no control. You crack under pressure. Darwin, you wave that sword around as if it was a seed in the wind. You didn't have one focused attack. You wasted every move. Tuck, you ignored your strengths entirely. The enemy baited you right where he wanted you. Lucinda, you completely fell apart. You let fear take control and you lost your power. Harbaro, you had no focus behind that attack at all. That kind of unfocused power is only going to stroke your enemy's ego as he shrugs it off and drives his nails into your throat. You had no plan. You had no cooperation. Each of you have endless potential inside of you, and all you did was waste it. You didn't even put up enough of a fight to make me sweat.

"Little humans...you just had Death blow you all a kiss. Did you enjoy the experience?"

The four were silent. Their heads were bowed and they said nothing.

Bahamut clenched his jaw. "When I ask you a question, little humans, I expect an answer. Did...you...enjoy...the...experience?"

"No..." They all spoke in reply, somewhat haphazardly.

"No what?"

"No master!" They all said at once, much more loudly.

"Would you ever like to be in that position again, the plaything of a sadistic monster?"

"No master!"

"Good." Bahamut simply answered. With that, he drew himself in a bit, and sat down on the ground. He calmed down considerably after that. He folded his wings in and gazed at them all. They kept their heads bowed and said nothing. However, Bahamut could sense a change in them. They weren't as angry as they had been. Nevertheless, Bahamut felt a little bad about all of this. He inhaled and sighed slightly. His own head went down a little as he sat.

"...Just to make things perfectly clear..." He spoke at last, quieter and even almost apologetic. "This was to assess you at the peak of your performance and to expose you to the worst opponent. I did not enjoy hurting you all the way I did. I knew the whole time that I would be able to heal you when we were done. I just wanted to make a point. I wanted to be perfectly serious about the danger you face. I wantedyou all to see what you were up against." A pause went by. Bahamut bowed his head a bit more, and sighed. "...I am sorry that I didn't prepare you for that better..."

"No, I am sorry master."

Bahamut raised his head slightly to this, and looked out to who had spoken. His eyes soon rested on Darwin, but he saw a similar look on the faces of all of the Light Warriors. He sighed, but then began to speak.

"You...you were right to show us that." Darwin continued. "I was just...mad at first...but I know what you meant to do. The truth is, after we survived all those battles and the castle...we started to think we might have been strong enough to face the Fiends without your help. We had gotten much stronger along the way. We were willing to submit to your training, but if you hadn't shown us that...we might have left early."

"You were right about our weaknesses, master." Tuck continued. "We need to improve. You just made it clear."

"Anything you can do to help us..." Lucinda went on. "We'll gladly endure. You were right. I couldn't help Tuck when she needed me, because I was scared..."

"And my magic was far too unfocused..." Harbaro added. "We are together. We're...sorry..."

Bahamut looked at them all, and he felt pity aroused in his heart. They had that endearing quality in them again, just like Palad did. It fixed into his heart and attracted him to them. He sighed slightly and smiled at them. He could sense they were serious. Again, they submitted under his tutelage. They would do what he said. It made the King of the Espers feel bad...but at the same time happy that they were willing to continue. At any rate, it would be a while before he tested them like that again. Hopefully...he'd become their friend in that time. Bahamut realized, most suddenly, that he wanted to be their friend, as he had once been Palad's.

The esper smiled after a while, and finally broke the silence. "Now, to business.

"You four have made the tragic mistake that I myself made, as well as my whole family, when we last went to fight the Four Fiends. We tried to train our minds or our bodies. We did not train both. Because of that, we were all weaker. The body is useless without focus and control. The mind is useless without tools for it to act through. You have been the same. Darwin and Tuck...both of you have great potential, and that potential has been stimied because you rely only on strength and speed. There are great weapons and techniques to learn in this world, and neither of you will be able to wield them until you have control over the weapons you have been given. As for you, Lucinda and Harboro...your minds are strong. But alone that is not enough. You are no good casting a spell if you are struck down before you can get it off, or your concentration slips. What more, there are other more powerful spells you do not yet know of. But they will not be of any use to you until your bodies possess the strength to channel such power. When both of you have mastered your minds and bodies, you will tap into power you did not even know you had.

"We will start on these matters soon. But first, you need fortification. For this first month, we will take things very easily. Your bodies need time to adapt to your new home, so you will work on moving normally in this environment. Today will be easy as well. You've all had a busy day...you may turn in early. But first, I will have to show you the proper way of eating a Kupo Nut...and then you may get used to sleeping in a bedroll."

* * *

_One Second Later_

Khan and Singh had just sighed to each other at why they had to do such a ridiculous task. They turned around to reenter the hall of Bahamut once again. They descended the stairs, and then looked ahead to see what Lord Bahamut had done with the humans. They saw little at first, and had to walk in a bit before they could look that far. But once they did...both attendants instantly froze, and stared ahead in stunned surprise.

The Light Warriors...had gotten older. They were only adolescents before. Now they were in the later teens. They had changed dramatically too. Khan and Singh could actually feel the power coming off of them this time, even though they barely knew how to sense power. Their clothing was in shreds, barely big enough for their new sizes anymore. Darwin was built now...still thin but fortified with genuine muscle throughout his body. His eyes were hard and focused, as if he had undergone some sort of great discipline. However, that discipline was nothing compared to that of Tuck. Her gaze was smooth, calm, and calculating now. Her movements were allfluid and silent and didn't even so much as push an air wisp the wrong way. She too was lined with muscle, and looked perfect in agility. Lucinda's body was a bit better off, although she still looked weak. However, her eyes showed not even a trace of doubt or confusion. She was calm and controlled now, without worry or fear. Finally, there was Harbaro. He too looked a bit more physically built. However, his eyes also burned twice as bright now, and his mind and foc us was as sharp as his vision. They were all older, wiser, and stronger versions of their old selves. Khan and Singh were justly amazed.

"What...the heck happened to them!" Khan whispered loudly to his sister. She could only shrug in response, and stare ahead in confusion.

However, the Light Warriors paused only a moment. Then they turned and looked back to their master. Bahamut himself looked back down on them, and turned his head from side to side as he looked on their bodies. He studied their features and gauged their powers...and he was pleasantly surprised with the result. He gave a nod to them all after a few moments.

"I can see now that there is no need for any further training." He addressed. "You four have come far in five years. I had my doubts. You had no foundation as the Dragoon did, and you were too old to start. But you succeeded none the less. You perserved in the worst situations, and you conquered your weaknesses. Truly, you four are the most powerful humans on the face of the Planet."

The four stood straight and tall in response, and only gave a slight nod to Bahamut in sign of acknowledgement. Khan and Singh leaned back and stared on in amazement. Bahamut looked over them all again, and then drew himself up once more. His wings slowly stretched out and filled the area behind him, and he began to raise his claws to them.

"I have one final gift to give all of you. That is a title...more befitting your new class of skill and power." The Dragon King paused a moment, but then turned his head to Darwin. He looked at him a moment, but then held up one of his hands and gestured with it. Darwin soon reacted, for in response his tattered clothing and armor began to glow. Slowly, it started to rearrange itself on his body, rebuilding again...but this time changing.

"Your focus matches your strength, Darwin. Now even the most advanced weapons can be mastered by you. You have also mastered the power to heal. No longer are you a mere fighter. I now bestow on you the rank of knight. Not as a human knight do I dub you, defending a realm or king, but a defender of the Planet. You are its knight and its warrior, as the line of the Paladin and Dragoons once were."

The glowing died down, and Darwin had changed. Now, his body was covered with much thicker armor. He was well protected by a breastplate, shin guards, gauntlets, and a spired helmet bracing his head. A long red cape matching his old clothing stretched behind him, concealing the sword sheathed at his side. Darwin saw all of this, and then turned back to the dragon, and gave another humble bow.

That done, Bahamut turned to Tuck next. He held up his hand, and soon her clothing began to alter as well.

"You have maximized your strengths and compensated for your weaknesses, Tuck. You have expanded your fighting abilities far beyond those of a common thug. The powers of destruction and nature are no longer strange to you. You are no mere thief any longer, and none shall ever call you that again. You are of a new class of warrior, one who commands great spiritual and physical power. You are a ninja."

The glow died again, and this time revealed that Tuck was almost completely concealed. A masked hood covered her head now, and her arms and legs were done up with light armor. She wore a light bodysuit that was the color green, and her knife and sword were at her sides. She seemed most pleased with this as she looked herself over, and then she turned back to Bahamut. She extended one hand in front of her, now gloved with fingerless gloves, did some sort of gesture of respect, and bowed to the dragon as well.

Bahamut turned to Lucinda after that, and began to alter her clothing as well.

"You have freed your mind from all doubt and confusion, Lucinda. You have fortified your body and trained your spirit well. You now have the capability to live up to your full potential, and to act quickly without fear. Your skill at the healing arts puts you above and beyond all other white mages. You are now a white wizard, a guardian of life for all people."

The glow died yet again, and revealed the change. Mostly, Lucinda's white robes had simply been repaired. However, the cloth was shimmering white now, and was of a quality that was thick and durable even against enemy attacks. The hood was drawn back now. No longer cloistered or afraid, Lucinda showed her head with pride. She too gave a graceful bow to Bahamut.

The Dragon King turned to Harbaro at last, and once again used his power.

"The power within all humans can be used for good or evil, Harbaro. Destructive and fierce as your power is, you now have gained full control of it, and have committed it to the cause of righteousness. Your body and focus are strong, so you will be able to command powers that even I once thought I alone could wield. You have a cause and power far better than mere black mages. You are a black wizard."

The light died down again, and revealed the new Harbaro. He still wore a wide brimmed hat low over his head, but he was no longer in black robes. Instead, he was in a long fold over coat/cloak, with other dressing underneath it. He looked taller and more sophisticated now, with more color and complications to his outfit. His collar was still high, however, and his eyes glamed brightly out from within it. They really did look like yellow lights in darkness now. Harbaro bowed to Bahamut at this as well, and the four were finished.

Khan and Singh admired the sudden change on the Light Warriors. They looked far stronger and more powerful than they had ever been before. Bahamut could feel it too. He had not felt such power in generations... He didn't think humans could possibly grow this strong. But he was wrong again, and had underestimated his young friends once more. They possessed this strength and much, much more. They actually surpassed the dragons now... They surpassed some espers even. They were amazing to behold, and Bahamut himself felt like he was in awe of their presence.

And yet, Bahamut was still deeply afraid. He exhaled slowly, but his face did not become disappointed. Instead, he looked them over one more time. "I have nothing more to teach you. From now on, you can improve yourselves without my help." Bahamut simply stated. "And yet I wish you would reconsider. This is your last chance to do so."

However, the Light Warriors merely grinned in response to this, and began to tense up with enthusiasm.

"Not on your life, master."

"We didn't spend five years with you for nothing."

Bahamut looked at them a bit longer. True...they were very, very powerful. But were they a match for the fiends? Could they possibly stand against them? Could they do what no other human had ever done? Bahamut didn't know. He feared they could not. The last humans he saw that had confronted a fiend died horribly. Could these four really make a difference? Even if they worked together, would it be possible? Bahamut had a stake in this now. If they did die...he would feel like he failed them. He would feel that it was his fault for doing this, for not training them enough or helping them when they needed it. After all that time...Bahamut thought of them as his friends now. He loved them as he used to love humans. And now, he feared he must watch them die as well. Yet he knew he couldn't dissuade them. He knew this whole time he could not. And so, in the end, he merely gave a nod.

"Very well. Go then. I will pray for you."

The four bowed one last time to their master. They held this time, showing their respect for him. Bahamut watched them, and wished again that they would remain...or at least that he could help them. But he could not save them from these fiends. Only the ones with the crystal shards would be able to defeat them for good. Yet if they were wrong...if they had the wrong crystal shards...then they would be doomed to die no matter how strong they had become. There was so much to worry about...so much to fear. He could stop them...but he refused. He had doubted the Light Warriors again and again, and each time they proved themselves faithful. For now, he would trust them. And so he let them rise, and they turned and walked back out the way they came. He watched them as they walked out, watching them in their new attire march out of the room, brimming with their new power, and blazing with determination. They looked regal now...a true shining example of the best of humanity. He felt his heart ache as he watched them, and his throat tightened. But soon, they had vanished into the darkness again. Moments later, their footsteps went silent. Bahamut slowly bowed his head after that, and closed his eyes. He heard the airship start up again outside, hearing the fan slowly begin to rotate. It sputtered and spurred for a moment, and then finally went up to full speed. Soon, he heard it begin to take off, and he whispered a small phrase.

"Fare thee well, my friends... If you conquer this foe...I will never doubt you or your race again."

* * *

Five days passed.

Bahamut, for the first time in years, grew sick with worry.

The Dragon King was visibly troubled. All who came to see him saw it. His head was constantly bowed and in his arms. He breathed slowly, and he looked like he was in mourning. He tried to trace the Light Warriors, but it was not possible. The ever-growing darkness had consumed them...and he couldn't see through it. He feared that they were consumed physically as well now. He constantly thought of the cruelty and viciousness of Lich. He remembered how monstrous and evil he had been, and how little pity he had for any living thing. He kept seeing the warriors...his young students...being torn apart by him without mercy or pity. They were so strong...but they were still so small...so young...so spiritually out of tune. They reminded him so much of Palad, and he couldn't bear to see them die. Grief pained his expression constantly, including today.

Khan sneezed abruptly, and then sniffled a bit before straightening up in his position. Bahamut cracked open an eye and looked out to his attendents. They weren't so worried. They were hopeful. They didn't know Lich or his power. They had thought the Light Warriors could defeat him before. Now, with Bahamut's training, they believed them to be invincible. They waited with optimism and hope for their return. They did not waver, but held on and continued to wish and have faith. They were not alone. Many of the dragons, if not all, had put their trust in them now. They were all eagerly hanging about the chamber, waiting for the first news of them.

Khan sneezed again, and sniffled as he wrinkled his nose.

_Damn those foolish humans... _Bahamut thought...although his angry voice didn't match the sadness in his heart. _Before they came, I had been content to believe nothing of humanity was worth saving. Now I meet not only four great humans but four great persons. They deserved to live in all this. They shouldn't have been first to die. They alone out of this wicked and perverse generation deserved life. Now they rush off to end it. _

_...Then again, I couldn't trust any other human to do what they did. Only they had the strength of will and character. And now it was wasted..._

Khan sneezed again, and reached up a claw to rub his nose.

Singh frowned and turned to him. "Cut it out!"

"I can't help it!" The half-esper whined. "Something's got up my nose. I've been sneezing all morning."

Bahamut was still deep in thought when he heard this. However, his mind could be in two places at once. He heard Khan's comment, and suddenly opened an eye. One of his ears perked over to his young assistant. However, before anything else could be said or done, a racket was heard. Someone was clamoring outside, and busting into the chamber. Now he heard them rapidly run up the hallway to him. Bahamut sighed at the thought. Was it too much to ask for someone to walk every once in a while? They barged in here like a herd of chocobo...

Khan and Singh turned to the person as he came in, and Bahamut looked up as well. What they saw was a copper dragon, rushing down the hallway a mile a minute, straining and appearing to have run to give this news. But he wasn't that winded, which meant he hadn't gone far. Once he reached halfway down the hall, he began to gesture behind him. But then, he remembered the sign of respect, and quickly dropped himself down on all fours, bowed his head, and then gestured behind himself to the entrance.

"Father-Of-All-Dragons!" He announced in a booming voice that sounded amazed and confused. "Something is happening outside."

Bahamut forgot about the Light Warriors for a moment at this. His face turned to concern instead, and he raised his head and looked out. "What is happening?"

"We don't know, sir. None of us have seen it before."

Khan and Singh turned and looked to their master at that. Bahamut looked out a moment longer, contemplating this. But then, he gave a short nod, and quickly stood up. "Very well. I shall see this for myself. Khan, Singh...come with me."

With that, the great esper descended the podium and walked onto the stone ground. His assistants paused for a moment, but then quickly fell in on either side of Bahamut and began to walk with him as he started to exit the hallway. The copper bowed low again, and then, in an awkward manner, began to back up while staying on all fours on the ground facing the Dragon King. He appeared to be somehow leading them on, although he would not rise. It took some time to get out of the underground chamber like this, but Bahamut merely sighed inwardly and kept his thoughts to himself. Soon they reached the end of the hallway, and came to the entrance of the cave. The copper ascended the stairs first, and Bahamut followed right behind still flanked with Khan and Singh.

As Bahamut emerged into the dawn, he winced from the sudden sunlight. The light of the sun had died considerably since the Crystals had turned dark, but it was still bright enough to blind one who has been underground for so many years. The island around the entrance, which was little more than a great, gaping hole in the ground, was flat and grassy. Nothing stuck out to interest a human, foe, or anything else. But there were many dragons out on the surface now. Bahamut, on emerging, looked around and saw them, and saw that they were puzzled and confused looking around them. But when Bahamut emerged, they soon saw him. They quickly dropped what they were doing and immediately bowed down before the Dragon King. The copper himself slid back while continuing to grovel. Bahamut's assistants soon came out as well, and with him they both stood on and looked around the area. Khan sniffled and sneezed again.

"Aw man...my eyes are really watering out here..."

"Small wonder." Singh answered. "Look around you."

Khan did...and soon, like the others, was amazed at what he saw. The grassy fields of the Dragon Isles were always just that, grassy. They showed no signs of trees or abnormal growth or anything else of significance. Only the local grass plants grew. Not so much as a wildflower ever sprung up on the ground here. But that had changed. Now, purple flowers were everywhere. They had sprung up all over the island. They covered it through and through all over, and they had already attracted bees and other insects to come and fertilize them. They covered everywhere Bahamut looked and stepped. As he went out into the field, he felt them touch his toes and feet. The weak air was nevertheless filled with their fragrence. It was a strange odor indeed...particularly to the dragons. It seemed to tantalize a piece of their minds, but they couldn't think of why this was so. They all looked around a bit longer, before Singh shrugged.

"Guess this is why Khan is sneezing."

"What are they?" Khan asked, ignoring his sister and not even giving her a dirty look. "Is this another curse? An effect of the Planet dying? Give us all death allergies."

Bahamut smiled a bit and gave a light chuckle at that, in spite of himself. However, that quickly gave way to amazement again. He looked around him more, and then bent down closer to the ground. He lowered his head to the flowers, and smelled them. After a few whiffs, he began to recognize the scent...and he realized there was no mistaking it. He was amazed to behold it. "Hardly, Khan..." He spoke at last. "These...are Foilleaf flowers."

Both assistants turned to Bahamut with some amazement at that, and then turned and regarded the flowers with awe. The other dragons heard this, and despite their position, began to lift their heads and share expressions of amazement. They began to look around at the flowers in a new light, and all appeared shocked to know what Bahamut had just said. Foilleaf was a rough translation of a more elegant dragon name. The humans had actually discovered it. Back in the days when the Dragoons rode dragons into battle, the dragons sustained massive injuries in combat. Human medicine did little to help them, and many died as a result. That was, until, one day, a Dragoon riding his mount into the mountains was struck down by an enemy spear. The dragon crashed but managed to save its human rider. After that, however, the injuries slowly began to kill the dragon. The rider saw that the dragon was severely injured and dying. He was suffering terribly. And so, he did something to try and ease the pain. He plucked a bunch of a plant that he knew was highly fatal to humans from the mountaintop, and then fed it to his mount in an attempt to end his suffering early. Much to the Dragoon's pleasant surprise, the plant miraculously healed the dragon, and within minutes the dragon was up and ready to fly again. Since then, Foilleaf became the most potent of all dragon remedies. The humans initially called it "the Dragoon's Grass" in honor of its discovery. However, time had made it more of a slang term, and now it was simply called "Dragon's Grass".

Yet this was shocking. The dragons had settled on these isles because they had many caves to dwell in, but also because Dragon's Grass grew here extensively. It filled the area and made it possible to keep the dragons here constantly healthy and well. But that had been a thousand years ago. After the Crystals turned dark, fire and earth both grew weak even though their fiends had not yet emerged. The earth all over the Planet was already growing weak. It was at its worst in Melmond, yes, but it was felt here too. Rare and fragile plants began to grow weak as well. Dragon's Grass had not bloomed in over a thousand years.

...But it was blooming now.

Bahamut realized this...and looked up and out for a moment. He stood in silence, as his mouth hung slightly open.

"...Could it be...?"

Bahamut turned his head back down to the ground. Immediately, he dropped on all fours and bent his head low. Seeing this, Khan and Singh both turned and looked to him with puzzlement. The other dragons did likewise after a few moments, perking up and seeming confused. As for Bahamut, he stretched out his claw and scooped up a handful of the dirt. He turned it over, exposing the dark, rich soil. He hadn't seen it look so rich in years. It felt moist and strong. He raised it and smelled it next. An old aroma immediately tantalyzed his nostrils. He hadn't smelled such rich stuff in centuries. Last of all, he even bent his head down and stuck his long tongue out to taste the dirt. He smiled and nearly laughed. It even tasted rich to him.

Khan and Singh quickly dropped down to either side of their master. They looked to him with puzzlement. "What is it, sir?"

"The ground." Bahamut answered, still looking at his fist and smiling. "It feels rich and alive again. It's stopped rotting. That's why the Dragon's Grass sprouted again."

Both assistants opened their eyes wide in response to this. They both turned and looked to each other, and began to slowly smile. Khan grinned in enthusiasm, and began to quiver with excitement. "That...that means..."

_I have to be sure..._ Bahamut thought. Quickly, he raised his head from the ground. He closed his eyes, and he focused his energies. He stretched out his presence and began to sense the world itself. For once, he ignored the fact that he still felt ever fouler evil growing within it. That didn't interest him this time. He stretched out further than that. He wanted a broad look at the Planet. And once he had it, he struggled to look for something...to sense a presence he hadn't felt in centuries. He searched hard for a few moments, struggling to find the source...and all the while beginning to eagerly anticipate the best. And that was what he finally found.A light burning in the darkness of the world...a sudden shift from chaos back to balance...

The Earth Crystal had been relit.

The other dragons were already getting up and amazed. They had heard Bahamut's words, and they didn't need his confirmation. They began to turn to each other and look enthusiastic and amazed. They murmured for a moment among themselves, before one suddenly sounded a cry...a roar of victory for the Light Warriors. It was only one at first, but soon the other dragons began to join in. They sounded their call into the sky, making it shake all around despite the loss of wind. Soon, other islands...miles away...heard the cry, and began to join in as well. Great echoes and booming roars sounded all up and down the archipelego. Joy and hope was the song that was sung, as well as praise to the Light Warriors for what they had done. Khan and Singh too rose, and after beaming around in amazement a moment, Khan began to cry out as well. Singh was beaming too, but in the end, still smiling, she turned to her master...who was still seated under her, and actually looked down on him.

"Do you believe us now, Lord Bahamut? Do you believe them now?"

Bahamut couldn't speak. The amazement was too great. They had done it. They had actually done it. Thousands of years ago, the humans were weak and fodder for the Four Fiends. And now...a fiend had been destroyed by the hands of men. Bahamut never thought that possible. Bahamut didn't think humans would get the power. But here was the proof. Better yet...the humans were right. They had told the truth. They _did_ have the four crystal shards. This confirmed it, that they managed to relight one. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't understand it. It was impossible. They had actually had the shards. They had found them somehow, and somehow they had come to the point of restoring the Crystals. There was no way coincidence could have made this happen. How could the shards have gotten so far? How could they have stayed together? How could they have found their way into the hands of noble and true humans, the last of their kind?

Bahamut could think of only one reason. He began to doubt it...but then he stopped himself. He was through with doubting. Now, he began to have faith.

The human legend...was true.

After all these years of waiting and hoping for humanity to grow to their full potential, Bahamut realized they had reached that point. They had ascended to where they no longer needed espers. They could defend themselves...and they could defend this world. They could do things that were once impossible even for espers now.Some were evil...but these select few who were good shined forth like the light they had lit in the darkness of this Planet. They were a hope for all races as well as their own race. They were champions of justice as the espers had once been. They _were_ the answers to the human legend. And that meant...that it would be by the hands of humanity that the world would again be brought into balance.

Bahamut, thinking himself to be the supreme authority on myth and legend...realized he was not any longer. One had happened right under his nose, and he didn't even notice it. But it was true. And knowing it was true filled the old esper with joy. In a way...he was glad for it. Very glad. Humanity's evil had caused this disaster...but humanity's good would restore it. Bahamut was glad, because now he could love humans again as he once did. He could admire them and feel justified in feeling great affection for their race.

Bahamut, at long last, smiled. He drew himself up slowly off the ground, and spoke out to Singh. "It would appear that youth has the advantage over age, in this round, young Singh. At least, in terms of faith in other people."

Singh smiled in response, then turned to the other chanting dragons. Soon, she joined the festivities as well. As for Bahamut, he looked out at this all, and thought of his four little students out there emerging from the Cavern of Earth.

..._I will never doubt again._

_

* * *

_

To be continued...


	18. The Temple of Chaos

Piccolo Sky's Quote-for-the-Day: "If ever you find yourself stranded at sea and you end up on this island covered with bizzare architecture that is oozing green slime and you happen to come upon a giant stone monolith that's covered with images of this hideous half-squid/half-dragon on it and it has a giant door...do yourself a favor and don't open it."

_

* * *

_

_Three Months Later_

The atmosphere around the cave, and around the world itself, had changed. Now, with Bahamut's support, and the revival of the community, the dragon monitoring of the Light Warriors went into full swing. Day and night, the dragons prayed for the safety of the humans. They monitored them constantly, reporting on the slightest detail. Some even began to record the legend down for what they were sure was the greatest historical act of all time. Others began to research other human legends and lore, seeing what other validity there was to such tales. And every new victory was celebrated with a grand party on the Dragon Isles. For the first time in a thousand years, the world looked like a brighter place as it slowly began to come back to life.

Bahamut continued to watch with new hope and faith as well. However, he was continually fearful for the humans regardless. They were still weaker than him, after all, and the Four Fiends had given him problems before. He feared that other, stronger fiends would prove too strong for them. But he held on and continued to wait through every new crisis, and they did not disappoint him.

A new worry had arisen right after the relighting of the Earth Crystal. Almost as soon as it was relit, Bahamut had barely any time to rejoice before sensing a new disturbance. The Fire Crystal began to fade rapidly, and he sensed growing evil from it. Evidently, the Four Fiends had sensed that the Earth Crystal was relit. So they were trying to hasten the destruction of humanity by causing the great volcano Mt. Gulg to erupt. The lava and eruption itself would likely destroy all life on the continent, but the ash that arose in the wake would usher in an ice age far worse than the one that Bahamut and his brethren had experienced in the days of Griever. Yet the Light Warriors leapt on the opportunity immediately. They rushed into the heart of Mt. Gulg itself, fighting through hoardes of creatures in the lakes and waterways leading to it. On reaching it, they faced the horror of the Fiend of Fire, Kary of Maralith. But they killed her as easily as Lich, and soon the Fire Crystal was relit. The sun shone more brightly than it had in generations, and the polar icecaps receded somewhat. To celebrate, Bahamut demonstrated a fully-powered Sol-Pyrin for his kin.

By now, the two remaining Fiends had sensed what was happening, and struggled to intensify their own actions. Kraken moved to disrupt the gaseous cycle of the world's oceans. It would kill all life in the water, starting with the deep dwelling mermaid race. The gluttonous, pompous creature no doubt thought the Light Warriors would never reach it, for it dwelled in the Ocean Palace far below the waters. But he and Bahamut alike were surprised as the humans perfected a small machine that could travel underwater and supplied it with Oxale, so that they could breathe deep under the sea. They went to the bottom of the ocean and slaughtered the beast, and then relit the Water Crystal. With that done, the dragons could once more dive and fish. Bahamut smiled as he sensed the water creatures preserved in Terratopolis at last released back into the oceans. The rivers flowed clean and pure again the world over.

The arrogance of Tiamat, Bahamut knew, would be his downfall. Rather than try to intensify his destruction, he waited patiently within the flying castle of the Lufenians. He believed that the humans would never reach him there, or if they did they would have to battle their way through too much, and would be drained when they reached him. Bahamut smiled at the thought. Tiamat underestimated their powers, which had only grown since they left him. They could match his power and even exceed it at this point. Bahamut had been a bit worried, until a report was issued not but a few minutes ago. The Light Warriors had destroyed the ultimate Lufenian creation: the WarMech. This machine had been designed to be superior to even the Fiends. Bahamut knew its own battle power exceeded that of Tiamat. If WarMech was destroyed, he knew Tiamat couldn't win. It was only a matter of time now...and the last of the Crystals would be relit. After a thousand years of darkness, the world would be pure and clean once again.

The dragons prepared for one last grand celebration. All were coming out now, from the largest to the smallest. They knew, within a short period of time, the wind would return. Then they would be able to soar and fly again as they did in the times of old. They all looked forward to that, as well as the grand celebration of the end of the reign of Chaos. All over the world, in fact, the various races were preparing a celebration. All free peoples watched the actions of these Light Warriors with expectation and hope. Bahamut himself lingered for a deep breath of clean, fresh air after so many years...and to once again soar on the wind. With the Crystals restored, he knew it would be his time to leave. He would celebrate for a time, but then he could fly back to his home in Terratopolis. Soon, things would return to the way they were, once he sensed the last Crystal being restored.

And yet...he was still sad.

Bahamut alone remained back in the grand hall. His eyes were closed, and he was in a position of meditation. He was silent and didn't move. Outside, he could still hear the clamor and revelry of the dragons as they prepared to rejoice. But he paid it no mind for now. At length, however, he heard something else. Footsteps were coming. At that, Bahamut cracked open an eyelid and looked forward down the hallway. What he saw was Singh, emerging into the light and coming on down the hall. When she was within range, however, she bowed before the Dragon King, and then rose again.

"Master, we are almost ready. The latest report says they are ascending to the heart of the flying castle now."

Bahamut opened both eyes, and gave a nod to this. "Thank you, Singh. I shall be out shortly."

Singh nodded. After that, she paused a moment and smiled. "Well, they did it."

Bahamut smiled as well. "That they did."

"The humans certainly have become strong."

"That they have."

Singh paused for a moment, and her smile faded. "Something bothers you, master?"

Bahamut's smile slowly faded as well. His head bowed slightly. He let out a long, slow sigh. "...I still sense the growing evil, Singh. Humanity has not changed."

Bahamut's assistant frowned a bit at this, and bowed her head as well.

"The Light Warriors...my friends...have labored for so long and so hard..." Bahamut slowly went on. "By their blood and bruises is the great mistake of humanity undone. They deserve to live in a peaceful world now. But what will the rest of humanity give them in exchange? How long will it be before their sacrifices are for nothing? Will it be within their own lifetimes that the Crystals turn dark once more?" He sighed deeply at this, and shook his head.

Singh stayed silent at this for a few moments, but at length shrugged. "It was their choice, master. This generation of humans might have spawned great evil, but it also spawned them. Without them, the restoration would not be possible."

Bahamut smiled a bit at this, and gave a small laugh. "Again reminding me that I focus too much on external things, I see."

Singh smiled in reply and laughed a bit as well.

Bahamut gestured to her. "Go back outside. I will be out soon."

Singh bowed in response, and then turned and walked back out the way she came. It took a few moments, but soon she was gone and joining the revelry again. Bahamut smiled for a bit longer, but then frowned again. He paused for a few minutes after this. He thought long and hard about all that had gone on. He considered the Light Warriors, and considered the Planet of which they came from. All of this wretched evil that surrounded him...it angered him to think about it. How could humanity be like this? How could they harbor such hate? Was there some source of it? Were there some people that the Light Warriors shouldn't have saved? He wished he could find the source and stomp it out, just like back in the days of Griever. Surely there could be something else done. What was the cause? Was humanity so wicked that it had been entirely perverted? What basis was there for such hate he was sensing? What were they doing that was perverting the world?

Bahamut didn't know, but he no longer intended to sit by and wait for it to present itself. Instead, he closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply, and placed himself back into his highly meditative state. He separated himself from his surroundings, and began to look at the world differently. He looked for the evil that surrounded it, and tried to see a source to it. He went back and searched harder, looking for a cause. But he could see none. The entire world was shrouded with the ever-growing darkness. It was thick and nasty to behold. The three Crystals shone only like dim little torches out of it. It sickened Bahamut again to see the depth of human wickedness. But then...he got a new idea. Until now, he had been focusing on the evil. Why not focus on the people themselves? Perhaps then he could see a source. Perhaps then something better could be done, and this crisis could be averted. With that, Bahamut swept down and focused on another place...the people of Cornelia.

_Let us see..._ Bahamut mused as his consciousness focused on the nation. His senses were so great, he was able to travel actually to individual minds and hearts, and see the darkness that lurked in them. He moved about to the royal family first... _The king...a bit weak, but a decent man, untainted by greed. Hmm...his heart is actually fairly kind. Nothing wicked or twisted in it. What of his offspring...? Hmm...he picked a good wife, with a similar heart. And his offspring are innocent and kind as well... The Princess Sarah seems to have a heart almost like the Light Warriors, in fact. Perhaps the Chancellor perverted the king's decisions... No, he too is faithful and loyal. The soldiers...they too are devoted... The people? They seem innocent as well... Hmm. How remarkable...there appears to be an entire nation that has not devoted itself to any base desires or evils. There is some wickedness, but nothing severe. Nothing corrupting. This kingdom is innocent...with people that seem to be after the hearts of the Light Warriors themselves. I must say, it is a relief. If the last human kingdom is good and true, then perhaps its influence will save this perverse planet yet... My source is not here._

_How about Pravoka? That place was a hive for scum and villainy. However...the people are decent. I can sense no true evil in their hearts. But those pirates...surely they... Well well, this is surprising. Their interaction with the Light Warriors seems to have changed them. They are crooked, but not nearly as much as before. Even that wretched specimen of a man Bikke has had a change of heart. This is very encouraging. Another good town. Perhaps the Light Warriors influenced it, which is good news as far as I am concerned._

_Melmond...yes. That Dr. Une has a prideful spirit. And the Earth Crystal affected it worst first. Perhaps it was just punishment... No...no, the people there are innocent as well. It seems they were innocent victims. Even this Dr. Une isn't a bad person, just a bit arrogant. Nothing standing out. Hmm...they seem to not be so bad either... That's interesting and..._

Abruptly, Bahamut froze. Something wasn't right here...

_Wait a minute..._

_Crescent Lake? ...No. Gaia? ...No. Onrac? ...No. _

_Nothing there. There's no excess of dark hearts there. No true evil..._

_This...can't be right..._

_Elfheim? ...No... Mt. Duerger? ...No! That witch Matoya? ...Not even her!_

_No one! No one on this Planet!_

_But...this evil power...it's growing..._

_What in the world is going on?_

"Master...the Wind Crystal has been relit! Come out! We're all starting to fly!"

Bahamut's eyes shot open as he was returned to reality. His face was now stricken with shock and astonishment. He only slowly became aware of his surroundings, and the fact that both Khan and Singh were standing eagerly before him, earnest for him to come out. Their eagerness, however, began to fade soon. They saw the concern on their master's face, and they soon began to mimic it as well. Meanwhile, Bahamut began to make a startling revelation. He was wrong...he had been wrong for years...

It wasn't the humans that were perverting the world.

It was something else...

This couldn't be. How could Bahamut have failed to sense it thus far? How had it just escaped him? He didn't know...but he planned to find out. Somehow this thing had to be blocking his vision to the source. He would have to rely on more power. And so, he suddenly looked up, realizing his two attendants were there.

"Khan! Singh! Come here at once!"

Immediately, their faces turned to puzzlement. "Master, is something wrong?"

"Just do it!" The Dragon King blasted in impatience.

Both were taken aback for a moment at Bahamut's sudden urgency, but then they both did as they were told. Quickly, they rushed up to Bahamut's podium, and then stood there and waited.

Bahamut responded by scooting back more, giving some room on it. "Come up here, and join me like this."

Khan and Singh immediately did so. They stepped up onto the podium, and then sat down as Bahamut was. They both looked and faced him afterward. Bahamut, in reply, extended his claws out to them.

"Now, take my hands and concentrate. Clear your thoughts as I showed you to. I'm going to use your own powers to boost my sensory abilities."

Khan and Singh visibly didn't understand this, but they nodded. They both took a hand of Bahamut, and then closed their eyes. It took them a few moments to get it right, during which Bahamut grew more impatient. However, they eventually cleared their minds. They weren't nearly as good as Bahamut at it, but it didn't matter. The esper immediately closed his eyes and focused again. He didn't search right away. First, he extended his presence outward. He moved his aura and consciousness beyond his own body and into the minds of Khan and Singh. There, he allowed it to rest a moment, gaining control of their own faculties and auras, and commanding that power under his own. It was much easier, now that they were allowing him. It took some time, but eventually he felt his own sensory power grow. He simply hoped that it was enough, and immediately focused his new power of three minds outward, to look at the Planet once again.

His consciousness left the chamber, and ascended high and far above the Dragon Isles. They shrank into little strips of land, and the rest of the world with it, until he could see the vast Planet from miles and miles away. He looked at it now, sensing over it, trying to find the source of the evil. He was clouded at first. At first, he sensed only the familiar sensation of the whole world being evil. It tried to delude him. It made him think it was coming from everywhere. But he didn't believe it this time. He continued to focus harder, trying to look past it to a source. To his surprise...he met with some resistance. Apparently the force actively went against him. He sensed something else as well. As he continued to focus...the light of the Four Crystals seemed to grow stronger. It was almost as if the Crystals...were attempting to resist the force as well. Finally, it began to break down...and with the help of Khan and Singh Bahamut went in deeper. He began to trace threads of stronger evil, and follow them back to their source. As he did, he could sense the darkness solidifying...growing stronger... It brought more resistance to him, but with the help of the Crystals and his assistants he continued to push it back...and search on...

_It's on land... Somewhere there definitely... Now, go in closer... The Southern Hemisphere... Keep focusing...it's getting stronger... Push it back, find it's source... The Southeast... Yes...Damn, it's getting stronger... Keep at it... Khan, Singh...just hold on a bit more... The Continent...yes, it's there...getting stronger... West of Pravoka...in the Kingdom of Cornelia...nearly-_

**GO TO HELL YOU PIECE OF SHIT**

A tremendous surge of power...cold as ice and numbing like lightning...suddenly surged through Bahamut's system. His view of the world, focused over Cornelia...suddenly turned black as a hideous demonic face, burning like red fire from hell, suddenly shot out and screamed at him in a voice so hideous and evil that one would think he had just seen Satan. The words were so fierce and strong it was as if a huge blow of pure dark power has smashed into Bahamut's face and pierced him right to his mind and soul. Bahamut's mind was painfully torn out of its meditation and thrown right back into the Dragon Isle cave...before the force acted so strong that it ripped the Dragon King right off of the ground and flung him across the room, smashing him into the wall against the back. His hands had been ripped out of Khan and Singh's, luckily, and they seemed not to notice it. But once Bahamut was gone, they immediately snapped out of their own trances, and turned and looked to Bahamut. Their faces immediately turned to shock, as the esper slowly slid off of the wall...debris from it slowly crumbling behind him.

"Master!"

"What on earth happened!"

"You're...bleeding!"

Bahamut coughed once, and shook his head. When he did, he noticed a warm feeling in his nose, and raised a claw to it. Sure enough, on pulling it back, he noticed a drop of blood. He inhaled a few times to get his bearings, and then he began to lean up. However, he stayed quiet, and his demeanor began to grow dark. He was a bit wobbly when he got to his feet, and he limped a bit on the way back to the podium, but he moved none the less.

Both of his attendents looked at him anxiously. Their faces were creased with worry.

"Master?"

"Are you alright?"

"No..." Bahamut slowly breathed. "I'm a fool... Give me some time. You two, go outside and start gathering all the dragons."

Khan blinked. "Pardon me sir...but _all_ the dragons?"

"You heard me correctly." Bahamut answered darkly. "Hurry."

Bahamut began to breathe deeply again as Khan and Singh looked to one another. They paused for a few moments, but then they turned and did as they were commanded. Bahamut was soon left alone in his chamber again...to ponder this latest turn of events.

* * *

Bahamut ended up having to wait a few hours. His head hurt from the blow. What had done it had not been weak by any means. However, he was beginning to recognize certain things. He began to see where certain problems had conflicted with his thinking, and he began to see what all had gone wrong in the past thousands years. Ruefully, however, he began to sense certain things as well. He couldn't sense that well, but he did risk sensing a few times. As he did, he looked out and saw the lights of the Four Crystals. They were still burning brightly...but something was already wrong. They seemed to be flickering a bit...like candles that were burning so bright that they were going to spend themselves, or like fires that were struggling to stay lit although something was desperate to put them out. And when he focused on them again and again, he always saw the same thing. They were resisting something powerful...and they were losing. The evil was threatening to smother them again already.

In his waiting time, Khan and Singh had managed to gather every last dragon they could find. They had been forced to stop their revelry and brought right here to the main Dragon Isle, and none of them were too happy about that. But they obeyed their master to the end, and so they sat and waited patiently. They did so as Bahamut slowly recovered.

At last, hefelt as if his senses had recovered sufficiently. That meant one thing. It was time to contact again.

Once more, Bahamut inhaled a deep breath, and then placed himself in his meditative stance. He focused after that, and began to reach out into the darkness-covered world. But it wasn't for the evil source again. This time...it was for other lights in the darkness. People he knew were still alive and out there. At long last, however, he found them. They were in Crescent Lake now, having made good time from the Flying Fortress. Now that he had them, he suddenly spoke aloud. This aroused the attention of Khan and Singh, but he didn't care.

"Darwin! Tuck! Harbaro! Lucinda!"

He waited for a moment, hoping to get a response. His telepathy was strong, but they were weak. He literally had to reach out and boost their own ability just for them to respond. It was a bit awkward, but finally he did hear something.

_...Master?_

"Yes, it is I. Bahamut." Bahamut responded quickly. "I am contacting you through telepathy. I had to reach you because something serious has come to light..."

_We know, master. We just heard._

Bahamut froze at this, and became visibly puzzled. "Just heard? Just heard what?"

_The sages at Crescent Lake have already told us. Somehow, our mission is not complete._

_We don't know why, but something is going on._

_Somehow, it seems as if time itself is reacting...changing. Something is happening that is coming from the distant past. We don't know what it is or why it's doing it..._

_But we believe them. And if they are right, something is reaching out again to darken the Crystals again!_

Bahamut paused at this. He took in this new information, which soon gave him more to consider. However, it also reduced some of his theories...and made him feel more aware of others. "...Do you have any idea where the source of this is coming from?" Bahamut finally asked.

_Yes, master. We do._

_We saw it in the Flying Fortress, on a map overlooking the world._

_It's in the center of all Four Crystals._

_It's the ruins of the Temple of Chaos._

At once, it hit Bahamut as solidly as the mental blow had. It all made sense now...in his vast array of wisdom and experience. To a regular person it may not have, but he had many details to consider and had thought of this for some time. Now, at last, it was all clear.

"Damn...I _am_ a fool..."

As expected, that sort of response caused some puzzlement on the other end. _...Master?_

Bahamut scowled and shook his head. "Damn...damn it all... Why didn't I think of this before?" He mused to himself. He paused for a moment, and then sighed again. "All of you...I owe you...indeed, I owe your entire race...a deep apology. For years I thought it was all your fault...but I didn't suspect him. I should have done that from the start. I never should have believed Tiamat..."

_Master, what are you talking about?_

"I'm talking about what caused this...all of this." Bahamut responded. "It wasn't humanity...at least, not now. It was Hades."

_Hades?_

_Who's Hades?_

"There's little time to explain. Suffice to say he was a dark esper, all the evil inside one of us. He wanted to destroy the world. He was the one who perverted the monsters of your world to evil. He was the first dark conqueror. Odin went to slay him, but when he killed him he claimed that we wouldn't be able to get rid of the 'foundations' of what he had done. We never found his magicite, so after that it became possible that someone was still working. We never found out who, but centuries later someone completed the Temple of Chaos. When it was finished, I sensed a terrible evil coming from it. Only now, however, do I understand the source of that evil. It wasn't being generated by a dark heart...it was something else that Hades built. Somehow, he found a way to concentrate and gather all the pain, misery, anguish, hate, wickedness, and other works of darkness into a single point. He was doing that this whole time. Then, somehow, when the tower was complete, it was unlocked. It transfered into one person. When we destroyed the tower, we thought that it was over.

"But we were wrong. This is what Hades meant, and now I understand. We destroyed the person who bore all this hatred and evil, but we didn't destroy whatever was absorbing all of this darkness. It lost most of its power when we destroyed the person who had inherited it, but we didn't destroy it. And so it continued to gather whatever hatred it could find. In those days, there was a dark generation of humanity. But they have long since died. I assumed they hadn't because all of their negative actions and hatred persisted, because they were once again being drawn into this source. And it continued to add whatever hate it could find from anyone else to it, so that the overall power always continued to grow."

_But why? Why would it do this?_

"I'm not exactly sure, but if what you said was true...I'm starting to find out. I'm thinking that not only Hades' consciousness, but that of every other being that was dominated by evil, when absorbed into this source, becomes a part of it. It makes it a conscious entity. So now, that source is an amalgamation of every dark heart that ever lived since its construction. The result...is an entity of pure chaos...pure evil. Because of this, its not just simply carrying out an original task. It's actually changing in order to adapt to a new situation. And I'm beginning to think it found a way to get around us destroying it as well..."

_How?_

"Hades knew that if it ever tried to contest us head on, it would lose. It tried to build this thing so that it could eventually gain enough strength to destroy us, but it failed. It found out that we'd know what it was doing and destroy it before it became strong enough. So it developed a new way...destroying the Crystals. By turning them from light to dark, Hades would carry out his goal of creating total chaos and would eventually turn this world into a wasteland. And we would die with it. But it lacked the power. And to gather the power would mean alerting us. Now I understand, I believe, how it meant to get around that... Rather than have a dark-hearted person from the present inherit the power...it drew out one from the future. It used its power that it had gathered then to tear a hole through time and bring back someone with a wicked heart from this generation. Then it gave its power to this person...but not for him or her to keep. Instead, it wanted him or her to summon the Four Fiends...to call out for the Crystals to become dark. But it didn't want it to happen at that time. It wanted it to happen in the future, long after the one who had called for the Fiends was dead. That way, it wouldn't matter if we killed this individual or not. The damage would have been done. Even if we tried to undo it, by the time we recognized the problem it would have been too late. It would have been years since the summoning occured. In the meantime, this source would continue to gather the dark energy of the people in this world, and would use it to make the summoning take place." Bahamut paused, and scowled. "The bastard _expected_ us to destroy the Temple, and whoever had claimed its power. So it must have left a remnant of itself still within the source, so that it could build itself up once again.

"When the Fiends finally did emerge, we were out of luck. With the Crystals dark, we couldn't destroy the Fiends. But it still considered the possibility that we might one day relight the Crystals. Unfortunately, that would only help it. It waited throughout history until this moment that we are at right now: when the Crystals are relit. Only now did it chose the person from the distant future to inherit the power. Somehow, it signaled itself in the past, or perhaps the past signaled the future, that now was the time to pick someone. Someone that was small and unexpected. Someone we would never sense, and one we couldn't stop. This whole time, we believed our foe was the humans. But even if we didn't we would have expected that the person was in the past. But that was its intention. It would take someone we would never suspect or even be able to locate from this time, bring him or her back in time, and then give him or her the power...long after our past actions hadmade the fatal mistake. It would never give us a chance to make up for it. It could chose anyone from any point in time, while we would have already failed to destroy it in the distant past. That way, it wouldn't matter who we destroyed in the past, because that person wouldn't even be born again until the future...where he or she could be pulled back.

"I believe I know what its doing now. The source has sensed that the Crystals were relit. So it sent back that individual from our current time back in the past. Perhaps there's a slight variation. Perhaps he put him a few seconds ahead or a few seconds behind. It wouldn't matter, it would only need to be small. But it would cause our entire timeline to be reorganized as a result. This individual would again summon the Four Fiends on a different timeline than the one we are on right now. Because of that...everything we did would be undone. A new timeline would result in which the Four Fiends were summoned. And if they were destroyed...it would simply repeat the process. Time would be in an endless loop of destruction...until it succeeded...until you four were finally killed."

Bahamut sensed the pause on the other end, and for good reason. Bahamut had to pause and take in what he was hearing himself. As for his attendents, they were turning white as ghosts. They gaped at this new revelation, shocked at what was going on. Bahamut cursed Hades. _Damn him...he predicted what we would do from the start. How could anyone be so obsessed with destruction?_ At last, however, he heard a response.

_Master...we have to do something!_

_We have to stop this!_

_How?_

"I believe you may have the key already." Bahamut answered. "This source, whatever it is...seems to be acting in opposition to the Crystals. That's why it intersects all four. When the Crystals were dark, they were helping it. But now that they have been relit, they are in opposition to it...fighting it. This won't last long. I already sense time beginning to change, and we have precious little time. That source is the key to going back in time. No doubt, whoever the source picked to summon the Fiends has already gone back. If the Crystals are opposing it, it may yet be possible to follow this person back. You still have the shards, so it is likely you can command the Crystals in some aspect to help you get back in time. If you can go back into the past, you must find this person in the ancient Temple of Chaos and destroy him or her."

_Do you think we can without causing the loop to happen again?_

"I don't know, but we have no other options. This thing may have waited until we obliterated it to summon the Fiends, so that it could leave a piece of it behind in the soruce.. It expected us to come the whole time. However, if you four were to follow it...it may not expect that. It will need to leave a piece of itself behind in this source. If you were to encounter it...and see its true intentions...it would likely bring out its full power in an attempt to destroy you to make sure you couldn't stop what it had started."

_Fine. We'll destroy it instead when it attempts to._

_It sounds like a good plan to me. We'll leave at once._

_We'll put an end to this, master. We promise._

With that, the psychic connection was cut. Bahamut inhaled deeply, thinking over this again. This shot was one in a hundred. The great esper wondered if it would even work. Worse, however...he worried about what awaited these four in the past. This monster, whatever it was, represented the evil energy of a thousand years worth of hatred. It was powerful...much, much stronger than the Four Fiends had been. Bahamut still remembered the terrifying amount of strength he sensed radiating off of it... It was horrible...almost too much for a human to withstand, let alone battle. Before he had doubted the humans...but now he was thinking very realistically when he believed that they could not beat this horror. It represented a level of wickedness and evil far beyond that of any other foe they had seen thus far. Could it be done?

He didn't know, but there was only one way to find out. The great esper might not be able to accompany his students back...but he believed he could yet see what was going on in that time period. It was time for him to stretch the limits of his own power. And he wouldn't be doing it alone...

Bahamut snapped out of his thoughts and looked down to his attendents. They were still frozen with shock, but he addressed them none the less with a new command. "Bring the dragons inside at once, and have them all begin to clear their minds and lend me their power. I will need the help of all dragonkind to be able to transcend this next boundary..."

* * *

An hour later, everything was prepared.

Bahamut's attendants had insisted on giving the low down to the other dragons. Bahamut didn't approve, thinking that would only cause a panic. There was no time for worry or distress anymore. However, it mostly served to make them work faster. They soon filled the cave, from the front all the way to the back. Dragons stuffed the area now, and the entire floor was nothing but a crowd of dragons save for the front podium. Khan and Singh themselves were seated in the front, and all of them were in the ready positions to begin meditation. They all faced the central podium, and had their heads down awaiting commands.

Bahamut himself was on the central podium with the silver hourglass. He turned it to set it to one year. That was more than enough, and Bahamut knew he would be left alone in that chamber for almost an entire year with nothing to do. However, he was ready for it. He knew he had to set it at just the right moment, after they crossed into the past. Because of that, he put his arm down in a certain way, ready to set it and begin it the moment that it was time. With this done, he was satisfied. The dragons before him were all ready for a command. The chamber was silent. Bahamut looked over this for a moment, but then issued his order.

"All of you...clear your minds now. Lend me your power. I will need the strength of our entire race to be able to follow the Light Warriors, and they may yet need my help before this is over."

The dragons merely bowed their heads a bit lower, and began to do as Bahamut had requested. Soon, they were all in meditative positions. Bahamut nodded, and then bowed his own head and closed his eyes. He too began to meditate. At first he only prepared himself. But then, once established, he began to reach out to the minds of others. Sure enough, he found willing minds almost immediately. He quickly went into them and gained their power for his own. As more minds relaxed, he was able to travel into them and establish himself as well. He worked quickly, knowing he had little time left at this point. But soon, he had traveled throughout the entire multitude, and claimed all of their powers for his own. His mental strength had now grown a hundred fold.

Bahamut thought for a moment of testing the strength of this new power...but he quickly relented. No time for mischief. He needed to get to the Light Warriors, and so he immediately reached out for them next. With his new power, it was easy. Searching the entire world had been a shady and tiresome searching business before. Now, the world seemed clear, like a book waiting for him to flip to the proper page. He soon found them, and to his approval he saw that they were already in the Temple of Chaos. He could sense the evil radiating from it more than ever now... Not wanting to risk another lashing out like last time, he instead focused on the warriors. He quickly established contact and called out to them.

"My students...have you found the source?"

There was a pause on the other end, obviously of startled humans suddenly hearing another voice. But then, they spoke up again.

_Master...you won't believe this!_

_There are six bats in here. They can actually talk to us! They claim they're Lufenians!_

_They said they tried to research this area a thousand years ago, specifically they tried to research this dark stone that we see in front of us... When they did, it turned them into immortal bats, cursing them to live in these bodies._

Bahamut paused, intrigued by this latest information. However, he quickly pressed on. "Is it the source?"

_It looks like it, master. I'm reading...terrible, terrible evil from it... Just to try to sense it feels like numbing pain... I feel like death just looking at it..._

_The power that stretched out to affect the Lufenians seems to have receeded. I think the Crystals are blocking it._

_We're ready to try and use it, Bahamut. The Lufenians in here agree that it's possible._

"Good." Bahamut responded. "Tell me the exact moment that you pass through."

With that, Bahamut primed himself again. He tensed his muscles, ready to drop the hourglass at the exact time. He also focused harder, bringing all of his new power to bear to focus on the Light Warriors. He had to stay linked to them. They and their shards were the key to this. He only prayed that this would work. They may yet still need his help... He waited a few moments longer, but then finally he heard the word.

_Now, master!_

Immediately, Bahamut turned over the hourglass and put it on the floor.

The familiar blinding flash of light struck him immediately. The rush of cold, dry air slammed his face, and the world grew heavier at once. But that wasn't all. His mind suddenly felt a terrible pull. As he crossed into the new world, he felt a great tear on his mind. Contact between the dragons and the others immediately was pulled, and he felt as if it would be broken up. Visible strain appeared on his face. But he didn't quit. He grit his teeth and bore through it. He struggled to reestablish himself, calling on all the power he had to bear. It was only a moment, but it felt like hours as he struggled to pull through this strain and change and keep his link, as his mind and body were thrown through two different lines of time and space. It was a horrible ordeal, and it nearly ripped his mind apart. But finally...he felt the buffering stabilize. As he settled into his separate world, everything else became calm. The link became steady, and he was able to grasp it. At long last, he bent forward and sighed in relief. And, to his pleasure, he still was linked to the others. He still could focus on them.

Without delay, he immediately called out. "Darwin?"

There was a pause on the other end. But then...a very puzzled response came back. _...Master?_

"Yes, it is I."

_What?_

_How is this possible?_

"There's not much time to explain. Suffice to say, I have entered the special chamber, where time has no meaning. Therefore it doesn't matter where the rest of you are in time, so long as I can stay linked to you. Where are you?"

There was a pause of confusion, but then the Light Warriors accepted what was said. They began to speak more calmly. _We are in the Temple of Chaos, master. Only its different. It's complete now. The entrance is gone. And it's much larger._

_There's no one here...but the moment we arrived I sensed a great explosion of dark power from the top of the tower. Whoever took the power must already be there._

Bahamut didn't answer this right away. He quickly took in this new information. So...it seemed as if they were back to the exact moment that the power was released. It made sense. After all, the power was only released once the host for it went back in time, so typically he should have received it when they arrived. However, Bahamut quickly began to realize something else. It made him fearful to think about it...and he tensed up at the thought. There was a new problem, one he forgot to consider before. Immediately, he called out to them again with a new constraint.

"You all must hurry. If my calculations are correct, you have arrived in the Temple of Chaos the moment that the dark spike of power was first released. That means that at this exact time, my past self is sensing what is going on. That means you only have three hours and seventeen minutes."

_Huh?_

_Why?_

Bahamut paused and smiled at himself. Some useless bit of information he had remembered for centuries...one he would never think of...and yet he remembered it. It made him want to laugh. Perhaps Providence made him remember that fateful bit of knowledge. However, he quickly addressed the group again. "That's how long you have before I arrive at the Temple of Chaos. Once I get there, Odin will join me and he will proceed to destroy the entire Temple with one shot. If you don't complete your goal...not only will the time loop continue but you will be destroyed. Go quickly, now."

There was a pause on the other end to this. It was a shocking new bit of information, after all. But the Light Warriors, on task as always, quickly spoke to each other and departed.

_You heard the master. Let's end this.

* * *

_

Tuck had just finished driving her blade into the head of yet another green dragon. Those things were infesting the Temple, along with about a million other foul creatures far more deadly than they had ever encountered. After doing so, she quickly turned and followed the others as they ran up yet another flight of stairs in the maze like Temple. This was a horrible place, no doubt. It pulsed with evil, and they all felt cold and numb just being there. The feeling only got stronger as they got higher and higher, and at this rate it would get much worse before it got better.

Lucinda had discovered, fortunately, that the key to getting into the upper tower seemed to be none other than the Lute they had obtained long ago. None of them were sure how this worked, but somehow playing it unlocked the way into the inner sanctum of the Temple of Chaos. Now they were in the inner chambers, and climbing up higher and higher.

"How much time has passed?" Darwin called out as they rushed up the stairs.

"I'd say we have about two hours and forty-five minutes left." Harbaro answered.

"Good. That means we're making headway. God knows how long it will take us to kill the thing at the top of this tower."

The four turned and exited out of the stairs into a new hallway. As expected, it was lined with columns and corridors as the others were, and as before they all knew that only one of them would lead through. Perhaps this Hades person had planned on humans trying to get through the tower. He was sure making it as confusing as possible. The four soon turned into this hall and began to run down it. But they only got a few feet before Harbaro suddenly screeched to a halt. They all noticed this, and then turned to him.

"What is it?" Lucinda asked.

"...Something evil is here..." Harbaro darkly answered, his yellow eyes warily looking forward.

Tuck frowned. "Tell us something we don't know."

"No, this isn't the source." Harbaro immediately replied. "It's a lesser evil...but its right here...and it's coming!"

As if on cue, a massive shudder hit the ground that was obviously the sensation from a rather large footstep. The Light Warriors immediately snapped to attention. They wheeled around and brandished their weapons. As they did, they heard the footstep again. And again. It was definitely walking toward them now. They stood and waited bravely, ready to assault the first thing that came through. And finally, they saw it. A massive being, about three times their height, turned the corner of one of the corridors and entered the main one that they were in. The creature was swathed in a purple robe, but they could see it poking out from within, and saw that it was a gigantic, monstrous, demon skeleton. Its eyes gleamed like red coals within its eye sockets as it turned its ravenous head toward them, gazing out both from its skull and from under a massive horned helmet. The Light Warriors suddenly relaxed a bit at this, for they were astonished at what they saw.

"...Lich?" One asked.

The creature froze at that, seeming puzzled. "Eh? How do you know who I am?"

"It's Lich from the past." Lucinda immediately corrected. "It must not know who we are."

"Fine then. Let's kill it again." Tuck snorted.

The monster looked at all this, and bellowed a chuckle. "Hmph. You humans have no respect these days. I've been out of it for too long. You know how many of your kind I've devoured raw and wiggling? I lost count myself...but you can tell me how many you found once I send you to join them in Hell!"

With that, the monster gave out a terrible roar. It shook the walls of the Temple itself, and it blasted horrible foul air. Then, with that, the monster bellowed some Arcane word, and then stomped its foot down. To the shock of the Light Warriors, the ground immediately swelled and cracked. A massive divide burst through the earth and shot straight for them like lightning. Quickly, they all split and scrambled, avoiding the massive quake as it tore apart the hall to get to them. They managed to avoid it, but soon they were all on their stomachs from having dove.

Darwin quickly began to pull himself up. "A quake spell?"

"He's improved..." Harbaro answered as he began to rise as well.

"What are you four babbling about?" Lich snorted. "No matter. You won't be around for much longer anyway." With that, the massive demon charged forward with its long, bony claws outstretched, looking for the nearest person...Tuck. But she was much too fast for the creature. She quickly got to her feet, seized Lucinda, and then leapt out of the way to ensure that neither of them got hit by the strike. The beast snarled, and then spun around with its other hand outstretched to claw at them as they shot by the beast. However, Tuck was too fast, and the claws merely raked streaks into a nearby column instead. The monster turned around, and followed up with another gesture of his hands and arcane word. With that, a massive stone column shot up out of the ground right under Tuck's position. Tuck, however, saw this coming, and quickly flung Lucinda in one direction while leaping up herself. The stone materialized right under her feet, but she managed to kick off of it. It was an imperfect kick, and she gave a mild yelp of pain from it. However, she avoided most of the attack, and did a mid-air spin to take her away from the blow. Moments later, she fell to the ground and landed on her rear with an "oof".

Lich grit his teeth. "You little rats have gotten speedy in a few thousand years. But that's not good enoug- ACK!"

Lich suddenly winced, because he had forgotten totally about Darwin and Harbaro. Darwin was now behind him, and had sliced a great cut down his back with the legendary sword Excalibur. Hissing in rage, the monster spun around and smashed its fist into Darwin. The knight was sent flying through the air and smashing into one of the stone columns that held up the room. He slid down it immediately, stunned and dazed, but still very much alive. As for Harbaro, Lich soon saw him as well. Balls of red light were gathering around his hands, and he was focusing a spell.

Lich hissed again at this. "So, you little morsels have learned magic too?" With that, he extended his hand and threw out another spell. Immediately, another column of earth erupted from the ground, and shot at a diagonal angle straight for Harbaro. The black wizard was shocked, but quickly redirected his spell down at the column instead. Soon, a ball of fire erupted from his hands and connected with the ground. The result was an explosion of earth and fire, scattering molten fragments everywhere. Some of them struck the black wizard, and he cried out as he staggered back from it.

The Fiend of Earth sneered at the fallen human...when suddenly he felt something. A bright, pure, white light suddenly erupted from behind him. It shone glorious rays of heavenly light down on the area in front of it, and soon bathed the Fiend in it. However, these lights were not healthy for the beast. Soon, the monster began to feel horrible pain as white fires burst out on its clothing. The bones began to erode wherever the light hit. He began to smolder and burn in the light. The monster roared in pain, and spun around in fury at who was causing it. He soon saw the white wizard, eyes closed and a peaceful appearance on her face as she looked to the heavens and summoned this white light to blast the creature.

"You _bitch!_" The thing spat. Immediately, it summoned another quake, splitting the earth and shooting it straight for the white wizard. She was in such a tranquil state, it seemed as if she was doomed to be hit by it. She did not move or react to the spell. However, just as it was about to strike her, the ninja Tuck shot in and pushed her out of the way to safety again. No sooner had she done that, then she crouched and leapt again, shooting this time for the monster's face with her sword drawn. Moments later, the thing hissed in pain and twisted its head to one side as a slash went across the bone on the side of its head. It cut through half the jaw, and the thing's monstrous mouth soon dropped down and hung at half an angle. In fury, the creature spun around and shot out a bony hand. This time, it managed to seize Tuck as she flailed in mid-air. She gave out a cry, but then soon brought her weapon around and struggled to break free of the monster's grasp.

Lich grinned at her with his broken mouth. "Now...I'm going to squeeze you into- URK!"

The Fiend couldn't finish, for Darwin had recovered at this moment and shot forward to Tuck's aid. With one flash of his sword, he nimbly severed Lich's arm from his body. The monster sneered from the blow, then roared in pain. But Tuck wasn't finished. The moment she hit the ground, she darted inward again and sliced at the monster's side, cutting into its ribs and making it falter in agony. Its remaining arm turned around and seized its side. It glared up hatefully at the humans, as both Tuck and Darwin halted and stood on the ground. From two different angles they glared down on Lich, as if he was a hunted animal and they were closing in for the kill.

Lich sneered and fumed at them. "You...what are you...? No human is this strong...! I've killed hundreds! How did you get...this power!"

"You haven't seen the half of it."

With this, Lich turned and looked to who had spoke. What he saw was Harbaro again. And now, the black wizard was chanting a different spell. But it was strange this time... He seemed to be summoning balls of flame around him. Not to attack right away, but to gather them up to him. He just summoned one ball after another, and had them all gather around him. But they all burned with intensity and power. They were so strong that they began to turn the air red. Still he summoned them, bringing them up one after another until he finally had a few dozen gathered. With that, the golden eyes of the wizard blazed. He leveled his hands in front of him and aimed them at the beast.

"Flare."

But that wasn't what Lich saw. Instead, he suddenly saw a part of his life flashing before his eyes. Thousands of years ago...when he was about to charge an esper he hated with every fiber of his being...he remembered it simply turning his head to him and saying one word... And now, as genuine fear grasped the Fiend's mind, he remembered the attack again.

"That's..."

But that was the only word Lich got out before he died again at the hands of the attack that had killed him years before.

* * *

"Hmm...so it appears as if the Four Fiends were already summoned..." Bahamut thought aloud. "That will complicate things."

_Master, Lich didn't know the Quake attack last time we fought him._

"They've gained strength." Bahamut mused. "They're stronger than when I last fought them. They must be getting it from the tower. Be careful. You'll probably have to encounter the others again. And you still have precious time. That encounter with Lich cost you some of what little you have."

_We'll try, master.

* * *

_

Icicles rained down on the massive foe, about the size of Lich. Huge shards of frozen water buried it within seconds, and the thing seemed to be annihilated by that last barrage. However, the pause lasted only a moment. Abruptly, the icicles and ice covering alike exploded. Melting pieces of ice were scattered everywhere in a flurry of rage and power, and intense heat flowed behind them. A massive four-armed snake woman emerged from the wreckage, brandishing not one but four Pyrosukens, one for each hand. Her face was full of hate and power, and she laughed madly at what had happened.

"Ice!" Kary of Maralith remarked in insane merriment. "My new body cannot be harmed by ice! I've surpassed even that weakness!"

"Then maybe you'll respond to this!"

Kary snapped her fiery head around, and saw that the white wizard was casting again. She was a bit burned from an earlier attack, but she was primed and ready for action now. She summoned her hands together and concentrated them. A great white power seemed to gather between them, and the force was so strong that it quickly turned the air dark around it. It was a pure light, much more bright and shining than any of the previous undead Dia attacks. She continued to focus for a few moments more, before she aimed her hands out and screamed the name. "Holy!"

Immediately, a blinding white wave of power erupted from the white wizard. It was charged with strength unlike any other attack unleashed so far, and it cut the air with a mild shining noise...almost as if it was some sort of angel singing. The Fiend of Fire glared at this, but then brought her swords around and crossed them in front of her in an attempt of defense. However, the power was far too strong for that. It only gathered strength as it focused in on its foe. Kary could only gape in shock and fear as her hellish fire was drowned out by holy fire. The powerful light smashed through her weapons, breaking them and melting them as it struck them. Then, she screamed as the blast struck her head on, but the glorious shining noise soon drowned it out and enveloped her in the blast. Moments later, the Fiend was ripped off of her feet and hurtled backwards. The blast continued to push her and carry her as it did so, driving her all the way back into the wall. Once it struck there, only then did it explode in a brilliant blast of radiant light. It burned for a few brief moments and echoed throughout the air, but finally it dissipated. When it did, only the smoldering stump of Kary's upper torso was left, along with two of the four arms. The tail thrashed about on its own for a few brief moments, but then it too calmed down. The massive body slid down to the floor after that, and moved no more.

The four were left to breathe hard after that. Lucinda leaned heavily on her staff before bringing out an ether from her clothing to drink. This fighting was taking its toll. As predicted, they had run into the Fiend of Fire...and she was stronger than ever. Ice had little effect on her this time. And she had utilized far more fire spells this time around. All of them were smoldering and half burned, and their stamina was running low. If this kept up, they might run dry before things were done.

Finally, Darwin motioned them on, still breathing hard. "Ok...that's all the break we can manage for now. Let's move on."

* * *

_One hour and a half left...damn._

Bahamut was beginning to get worried. They had only killed two Fiends so far, and they were already weakening a bit. They had managed to kill all four before, but they had days in between in which to get a good night's sleep. Now they had to handle all of them together. And time was still running low.

_Come on, you four...don't hold back...

* * *

_

Tuck leapt back as fast as she could, barely touching down from one leap before heading back again. In front of her, tentacles shot out and raked the ground and the columns, striking madly at her position. Finally, she stumbled for a moment, and one of the tentacles struck her in the head. She gave a cry, and soon she was flung backward across the room like so much chaff. She landed on the floor moments later, right next to Lucinda, who was struggling to drag Darwin back enough so that she could heal him. As it was, he was on his back and moaning in semi-consciousness, blood matting his hair and brow. Harbaro alone was left standing. The black wizard waved his arms and spread out his hands, causing an explosion of a green aura to form around his body. Moments later, the sky grew charged. The air began to crackle. The light dimmed. Then, a massive bolt with four smaller bolts around it erupted from the sky and struck the source of the tentacles.

Kraken staggered back and roared in pain as the lightning struck him. He was like a massive giant squid, spilling his tentacles out all over the hall from beneath his purple cape. They abruptly shrank back like vines withering in flame as the lightning struck it. It writhed and turned as the bolts of electricity whipped around it. But they lasted only a moment, and when they were done...the creature was still alive. Hissing in fury, it immediately shot forward again, seizing stone columns and ripping them down as it did so.

Harbaro panted, his magic nearly exhausted. He needed time to rest, but the beast wasn't giving it to him. Luckily, Lucinda managed to rise from the fallen Darwin. This time, however, she didn't cast a spell. Instead, she brandished her arms, revealing a pair of heavy gauntlets attached to them. She slammed her wrists together and grit her teeth. Moments later, a smaller bolt of electricity shot out from them and tore straight for the beast, striking it in its trident-shaped head. The beast bellowed another hideous cry and staggered back again, writhing from the blast. The assault didn't let up. As Harbaro panted and rested, Tuck shot back to her feet. Immediately, she revealed her own arms...wearing gauntlets of a different kind. She braced them together as well...and immediately a bright light exploded from them and enveloped her weapon. After that, she brought up the sword and dashed forward. The Kraken shook his head from the weaker spell, and then raised its tentacles to attack again. However, Tuck was soon on the first tentacle, and brought her sword down on it the moment it got close enough. Imbued with a new power, her weapon easily sliced right through the end of the tentacle, cutting it off all together.

The monster reared back again in pain from the attack, just as Darwin was healed by Lucinda and jumped up to join the fray.

* * *

"Hurry, everyone! You only have fifty minutes left!"

Bahamut urged them on although he knew they were doing their best. Their battle with Kraken had drained them, and they still had to contend with the foes of this castle as well as the Fiends. But they were quickly running out of time. He prayed that they were saving something for the monster at the top of this tower. He would make the other Fiends look pathetic by comparison. He could sense through them, and the monster only increased in power the closer they got. This was not good. Not good at all...

_Come on... Get there...

* * *

_

"Curse you! _Curse you! And all humans!_"

Blood splattered from the five stumps of Tiamat's former heads as its one remaining head blasted in rage. Harbaro and Lucinda were on the ground already, torn up, bloody, and looking barely able to move. But Tiamat was also covered with deep lacerations, bleeding all over the place and barely able to stand. However, Tuck and Darwin, bloody and torn, still stood. And now, as one brandished Excalibur, the other brandished none other than the legendary blade of Leviathan and Ogopogo: the Masamune. Unknown to any of them, Gilgamesh had long since recovered it, but in the construction of the maze-like castle he had lost the weapon. Yet it was reclaimed now, and the ninja bore it. Both held a moment longer, but then both shot forward at once. Their twin blades flashed as they shot straight to the Fiend of Air and cleaved his neck. In a flurry of blood, the final head went flying from the neck of the horrible creature. It fell to the ground after that, giving a few final throws of death, before landing and merely bleeding the last of its blood on the floor.

Tuck and Darwin both paused after that, and began to pant hard. Their strength was nearing their limits. Still, they managed to clean off their blades and put them aside. Then both downed their last potions in their belts, which barely served to heal the least of their wounds and recover a fraction of their power. After that, they turned and looked to their fallen friends. They quickly ran over to them, and then reached down to their sides. They bent down next to them and propped their heads up on their laps, and then pulled up. Tuck looked down with some fear, for she realized she had nothing left. Darwin did manage to pull two vials out, however. Yet he froze as well, and regarded them with some fear too.

"Our last two elixirs..."

Tuck paused, but then shook her head. "We have no choice. Let's give it to them."

Darwin paused, but then sighed and gave a nod. Quickly, he passed one to Tuck. Both uncorked them and quickly spilled the liquid down the throats of the two wizards. They paused a moment, gurgled, and spasmed slightly. But then, both of them opened their eyes, their energy looking completely restored. Quickly, they both rolled up into a seated position. They turned and looked to their companions. Immediately, Harbaro frowned from within his dark cloak.

"You should have used them on yourselves. You need them."

"We need _you_." Darwin responded flatly. "And you needed them much more than us."

Lucinda didn't speak. Instead, she immediately went to work with her spells. She closed her eyes and focused, and a few moments later a light green aura gathered around her hands. She reached down and held them over the two injured warriors. She focused for a few moments, and slowly their wounds began to close. Their stamina returned to some extent. However, once both of them stopped breathing hard, Darwin shot out a hand and seized her wrist, immediately stopping her.

Lucinda opened her eyes and looked to him in confusion. "You're...still hurt..."

Darwin shook his head. "It can't be helped. That was the last elixir. You'll need to save your energy for the top of the tower. And we'll have to be much more efficient than we were for Tiamat..."

The others paused at that, but ruefully nodded. The monster had been far more than they had expected. Tiamat had been much stronger and more fierce, and he had been fond of casting his own Flares at the group. Including those two, they had gone through five elixirs in that battle. Now they had none left. Whatever strength they had now was it...and they could sense that the evil presence above them was far stronger than Tiamat had been. They all rose up, and began to walk down the hall. They only went a few steps, however, before Darwin took a deep breath and began to run. The others paused, but then began to run after him as well.

"You should save your strength." Harbaro warned.

"Not when we have twelve minutes left, which is what Bahamut just transmitted to me."

The group all quivered a bit, and then ran after Darwin. Luckily, the corridor wasn't as mazelike as the lower levels. They soon turned a corner and came to another obsidian staircase. Immediately, they turned and ran up it.

On arriving on the next floor, the group immediately became conscious of a dark feeling on the air. It was cold up here...and there was a numbing sensation to the skin. It seemed to be radiating from the center of the chamber as well. Their teeth chattered just to come into this room. There were torches here...but they seemed dimmer... There were no maze-like walls here, but there were many, many columns. They held up the ceiling of the intricate roof of the temple, and created the illusion of an endless forest of obsidian stretching into the shadows. Involuntarily, the group slowed to a walk as they emerged on this floor. Any fear that was in their heart seemed to be drawn out by this place...and fed by its darkness to become more overwhelming and strong. But they had strong courage too, and they would not break down. They continued to walk forward without hesitation. They became conscious of another feeling here...striking their senses. It seemed as if it was almost like a smell, though they couldn't sense anything coming in their noses. But somehow...it had the feeling of a tomb.

At last, after what seemed like an eternity of wandering, the group encountered something. There was one chamber in the center of the room, surrounded by black obsidian walls that were as dark as midnight. The group paused here, and regrouped themselves together. But then, staying close, they walked around to try and find the entrance of the place. They soon came across it, a set of double doors. They all walked up to them, and then paused again. They turned and looked at each other, each one of them now quivering with nervousness and tension. The feeling of death was stronger here...and they could feel their hearts beating faster. Their stomach began to turn, and their blood seemed to run cold. However, they would not enter like timid fawns into this place. Darwin clenched his teeth, drew Excalibur, and then, with a mighty gesture, lifted a foot and kicked the heavy doors open. They snapped apart easily enough, and immediately he entered. The others followed him closely, raising their weapons and ready for action. However, no sooner had they managed to enter the chamber...then they heard something stronger behind them. The doors were suddenly slammed shut, and the sound of a massive lock was heard.

The four didn't even have time to study their surroundings before they heard that sensation. They turned and looked to the doors, now shut and solid...and seeming to exude more darkness in order to make them loathesome to the touch. But they didn't look at them long, nor struggle to open them again. Instead, they all turned around and focused on the chamber. This area was also filled with columns...but was not lit like the other chambers. It seemed as if specks of pale, ethereal light were imbedded in the stone. They gleamed small and eeriely, and made the room look like it was actually in space. However, that didn't hold their interest long. Their focus was soon on a figure in the center, his back to them. All they could notice, however, was a long black cape on him...and a great horned helmet. Strangely, that seemed familiar...

"Hmph...I figured you'd be coming eventually." The figure spoke in a human voice...although it was cold and deep, like the room itself. There was no doubt about it...this man had inheirited the power. And they could sense a great evil coming from him already.

And yet...that too sounded familiar.

"This is the second time now you interfered where you don't belong. Luckily...it will be your last."

With that, the person at least turned around and faced the four. In response, their eyes expanded. They had seen far too many surprises in their time to be shocked anymore, but this was a true surprise. They had never suspected him...of all people. In the course of everything that had happened, he was almost forgotten by now. And yet...he stood before them.

"No...you?" Darwin remarked.

"...Garland?" Lucinda exhaled in stunned surprise.

* * *

To be continued...


	19. Chaos

Good news everyone. This fight won't drag on forever like with Griever._

* * *

_

Him?

Bahamut couldn't believe it. Out of all the foes that they had fought...out of all the people in the world...this one lowly human was the culprit? This simple knight? Out of all the monsters...espers...foes that they had conquered...this was the one? It couldn't be possible... A single human had done all this? One of them had possessed so much evil? It didn't seem right... In fact, as Bahamut looked on, he _knew_ it wasn't right.

Something was wrong here. This should have been a human knight. Now, it was infused with terrible evil. A wickedness beyond comprehension. And yet...Bahamut still sensed a difference. There was something not right here...something strange about his composition. He continued to focus hard on him. The evil within him was blinding now, but he wasn't aware of Bahamut's presence and he didn't resist it. Because of that, he was able to sense more of his nature, and realized something at last.

He was right. The fundamental nature of this one was different.

This wasn't a human...

It felt like...a Lufenian.

* * *

"You...? It was you the whole time?" Tuck marveled. 

"But...we killed-" Harbaro began.

"Killed me?" Garland asked. He gave a snort after that. "Feh. I told you four you could never defeat me. No mere people of this world can. All you did was serve to grant me ultimate power. Power far beyond anything else that this world has ever had. I'm actually indebted to you."

The four stood silently in reply. They stared blankly at the single knight for a few moments, registering this. At last, Darwin frowned and called out to him again. "So it was you. Now I get it. You were right in front of that black stone when we killed you."

"Oh, but you didn't kill me, young human." Garland softly responded. "You may have thought you did. And sure enough, I was near death. But I was rescued." His voice lowered and grew more smooth and dangerous. It unnerved the Light Warriors as he continued. "This Temple called out to me from the distant past. I heard its voice...and I responded. It drew me back unto this very moment. It preserved me by having me reborn..." He lowered his head and narrowed his gaze at this. "...with the power of Chaos."

The others stiffened at this, and felt a cold chill. A strange power was in the voice of that thing...coming out and coming forth to them all. But they stood their ground, and responded. "What is this...Chaos?"

"Nothing more than the true nature of the universe." Garland darkly responded. "I attempted to preserve order before. I was attempting to avoid fate. But now, I see the true nature of all things. The one inevitable destiny of everything. It was as plain to me as the nature of all physical matter. All things tend to destruction. All order to disorder. All balance to chaos. Chaos is the one force that grows ever stronger. It is the supreme disruptor and the net of all living and nonliving things. It is the one center to the cosmos and indeed all creation. All things are created to be destroyed. All life is born so it may die. All stars light up so that they may burn out. And it is because of this that I have changed. I now am the bringer of this new power. And to that end, I have summoned the Four Fiends."

"The Four Fiends are dead." Tuck snapped back harshly.

"We killed them in the future and the past." Harbaro added.

"Ah, but that's the most wonderful part of all." Garland replied with a sinister smile. "Your actions are meaningless. Even as you try to establish order, you create more disorder in the process. Even as you try to avoid your fate, you become victims to it. It is because you destroyed me in the first place that this all happened, don't you see? It is because you destroyed my old body that the power called out to me to have this new one. The disorder created by your actions of destroying me can not be reversed, just as the chaos in the world cannot be reversed. All things head toward this one inevitable chaos. And that is now mine. It was by the disorder that you created that this all came to past. It was because you tried to stop me that the Four Fiends were even released. You four are a part of this inescapable chain that leads to the one great destiny. Your fates are predetermined...that your lives shall end here, while mine shall last forever."

The four were silent at that. However, what Garland had said began to sink in. That was right. If they hadn't killed Garland to begin with, he never would have went back in time to even summon the Four Fiends. The fiends had come to the future because of them. Their mission had begun...because of their own actions. It was another loop, just like Garland's existence. They all began to realize that, and it began to grip them with a frightening and horrifying possibility. What if this was inevitable? What if Garland was right? After all...if they were successful...then that would mean that they never would have set out in the first place. They wouldn't have to, because the Fiends were dead. But what if they were wrong? What if this was all wrong? The fiends were alive in the future...so did that meant they failed now? Was this all hopeless?

Garland picked up on them. He realized their growing fear and doubt. From beneath his horned helmet, his teeth flashed into a grin. But that was only for a moment...before the incisors began to grow. With that, Garland suddenly grunted, and wrapped his arms tightly around his body. He bent his legs and crouched, and he grunted for a moment. But then, he hissed and spat, and began to make noises as if he was straining or in pain. As he did...the four sensed something horrible. He was drawing the power within him out. He was manifesting it...and they could feel it start to exude off of him. It was turning the room cold and dark. The knight hissed and struggled, clenching his teeth harder and harder as they continued to grow sharper. Then, abruptly, he opened his mouth...and gave a roar that wasn't human.

Immediately, Garland's armor burst off of his body. His muscles bulged and grew larger underneath, swelling and poking out. They stretched and twisted his skin, pulling it out and ripping it. Soon, the outer layer of flesh fell off, revealing huge bronzed muscles underneath. The muscle continued to grow larger and larger along with the thing. Only a strip of waist armor remained on him. This armor didn't shatter, but swelled and twisted as well. The loincloth seemed to grow longer and become more ragged and animal-like. The belt began to gleam and extend with the growing body. Garland continued to grunt, but his voice was now that of a monster...if not a demon. Abruptly, the helmet split and shattered as well...but the horns stayed put. The oversized antlers were now seeming to grow out of Garland's head. And they began to turn red and twist, burrowing itself deeper into the head of the creature. Garland's own face began to enlarge to encompass the huge horns. The face began to distort as well, as the grunts and roars became more violent and rough. A cleft palate formed, and the nose became catlike. The eyes began to burn like red coals, and the hair fell out as smaller horns broke out around the monster's head somewhat irregularly. Because of this, the monster now truly did look like a demon. It gave one more stiff shake, and then roared again. With that, a long, thick tail erupted from behind it and extended around the monster, taking up the entire length of the beast. It grunted again, and then shoved one of its arms forward. Immediately, its cape shredded, and a massive black wing emerged. It repeated the action with the other arm, and another black wing came out. The monster fanned them behind it, and then uncrossed its arms. It revealed its bronzed chest and two taloned hands. The belt continued to twist as the creature slowed down its growth and stopped, revealing a skull on its belt with glowing red eyes.

The thing now stood about 24 feet tall, flexing its claws and wings. Darkness exuded from it. Hate and fury filled its eyes. Indeed, all the evil and wickedness in the Temple now seemed to pour through this one being as it glared down at them. Garland was gone. This thing, now...was a true embodiment of Chaos.

The resolve of the four continued to break. They faltered back, staring up at this beast. It was far stronger than all Four Fiends combined. It rippled with evil. And now, it seemed more futile than ever to battle this foe. It seemed impossible to do anything...but die here. The monster took a step forward, shaking the entire floor with its new size. Its wings blew foul air at them. Its tail thrashed around and easily broke one of the columns of the chamber in half before raking against the floor. How could they even begin to fight this horror? Perhaps it was all inevitable...

_Don't you four dare give up._

The Light Warriors stopped their retreat at that. The powerful voice of their master blasted through all the darkness and gloom and touched them mentally, and spoke out in a commanding, fierce voice...much as he had done when in anger.

_You four haven't taken me this far just to stop now. You've restored my faith in humanity, destroyed the evil of this world, and brought light back to a dark planet. Now you're going to stop because this miserable weakling, this excuse for a human...this person who you killed so long ago and so easily stands against you? You don't seriously believe his nonsense, do you?_

The four hesitated at that. They didn't answer right away, but continued to look at the towering demon who loomed ever closer. They were still very fearful of him, but they didn't dare voice it. They mentally spoke back to Bahamut.

_But he's right...this all happened because of us. It's like you said..._

_This didn't happen because of you. This is his doing. This is the work of many evil souls and beings that lived long before him. He is nothing. He's a mere mortal who hasn't even lived a single lifetime. He believes so much in Chaos, but chaos is nothing. Its a void. Its emptiness. There's nothing to believe in there. He thinks there is power there, but power is a result of existence and life. He has nothing. _

_But...the future..._

_If you want to change the future, then kill him! Don't let him write your own future for you! If you don't believe and don't want his rendition of fate, then fight against it! Weren't you the ones who refused to follow the fate of your race when I told you that humanity was doomed? So why are you dooming yourselves now? If you care about your own futures...the futures of your race...of this very world...then destroy him!_

The four paused for a moment longer at that. They let Bahamut's words flow into them. After a few moments, however, their faces turned. Their fear vanished. Their looks grew determined again. Abruptly, they stopped shaking. They stopped falling back, and planted their feet. Their weapons were drawn and faced the monster again. The Chaos beast, seeming confused at this, stopped and looked at them in puzzlement. But then, it let out a horrible dark laugh. It was mocking their attempts to fight back. But the Light Warriors didn't falter. They stayed standing and stood their ground.

"...Thanks for reminding us, master."

"We won't fail."

* * *

Bahamut sighed in response to this. At least they hadn't given up yet... 

But they had only eight minutes left.

* * *

Giving a yell, Tuck and Darwin both charged forward to attack. Their blades were drawn and they shot forward to the beast, preparing for another X slash. As before, they reached the beast and prepared to hit. However, with a simple fling around, the monster swirled its body around and smacked both with its huge tail. Both were sent flying across the room and smashed into columns. As they slid down, they both spat out blood. Tuck spat out a tooth as well. 

The beast bellowed and charged at the wizards next. It extended its horrible claws and reached for them. Harbaro prepared a spell, but he was too slow. The beast moved like lightning, and soon scooped Harbaro up with one massive hand. It dug its nails into his flesh, impaling him through the shoulder and driving the wizard into terrible pain. Lucinda continued to cast, preparing what was a Holy spell. The monster looked down at her, and then simply shot out a foot and kicked her. The blow was like a tree falling onto her stomach, and she was ripped off the ground like a rag doll and thrown across the room. She hit so hard that a breaking sound was heard, and as she collapsed to the ground a piece of rock fell after her. The Chaos beast then spun Harbaro around and smashed him down head first onto the ground. Another crack was heard, and a massive bloody streak was left as his face was raked against the floor.

Darwin managed to shake his head and get up again. As the beast released Harbaro, Darwin rushed to the side to stab it. But as he approached, the monster suddenly wheeled around and exhaled at him. Immediately, a roaring blaze of fire erupted from his mouth and blasted the knight. Darwin gaped in shock, and barely stopped himself, bent down, and brought up his shield to guard himself before the flames hit. Still, ground around him was bathed in horrible flame as the monster breathed its terrible breath over the knight. It continued to do so without end. Darwin grit his teeth and endured it, but the heat continued to build. His cape caught fire. His armor began to melt at the edges. Molten hot iron began to near Darwin's skin, and the knight began to grit his teeth and cry in anguish as the heat grew...

But abruptly, Chaos cut it off so that he could spin around and shoot out a focused, strong blast of water from his mouth. While Darwin cooked and slowly pulled himself up from the flames, a powerful blast of water struck Tuck as she leapt through the air to the Chaos beast. The blast hit her and ripped her out of the air, smashing her into a wall. Immediately, Chaos turned to her and blasted stronger. He put all of his force behind it, and blasted the human with killing force. He widened it to cover her body and continued to shoot. The stone began to break around where she was. Her body was driven in deeper and deeper from the fatal blast of water. Yet the monster only continued to push harder, driving a deeper and deeper crater into the stone...and smashing the body of Tuck further and further into it.

But it was again distracted soon after. It turned to the floor, and saw that Lucinda had recovered. Now, the white wizard was over Harbaro, and was casting a spell over him. She was breathing uneasily, looking as if the thing had obviously broken something. But she wasn't dead. And now, she reconnected Harbaro's broken neck, and soon the black wizard was restored. He wasted no time, and quickly rolled back up and prepared to confront the monster. The Chaos beast snarled, and turned to stomp toward the two wizards. Harbaro saw this happening, and quickly looked up to counter it. He had no time for a powerful spell, so instead he summoned a green ring of light around him, and then shot out a blast of lightning right at the monster. The powerful blast of lightning hit the thing...but it merely made one cutting motion with its hand and immediately made it vanish. The blast did nothing. Harbaro could only gape in shock as the monster came forward and stepped down. Immediately, the black wizard was smashed under a great clawed foot. The monster looked down and snarled at the wizard, and as for Harbaro, he gasped for air and made an expression of agony.

"AIIII!"

However, so preoccupied was the creature, that it didn't notice Darwin behind it. Again, the young knight rolled to his feet, and then charged forward again. This time the beast didn't respond in time. It turned and looked, but it was too late. Darwin drove Excalibur forward, right for the monster's calf, to give it a deep wound that would impale it all the way through and cripple it...

The blade, however, dinged off of the muscle of the creature like a dinner knife on stone. It barely left a dermal scratch, and didn't draw any blood.

Darwin's eyes gaped in shock. As for the creature, it merely turned, looked at him, and then grinned with its monstrous teeth. After a brief moment, it whirled around violently and smashed its tail against Darwin again, flinging him across the room again and into another wall.

* * *

_Seven minutes left... _Bahamut thought. _Please hurry...if you can.

* * *

_

The Chaos beast gnashed its teeth and growled at its latest victim. However, even as it did, a glowing power began to appear below it. The monster snorted, and turned down to look at the source. It saw Harbaro with his hands together, aiming upward and holding a glowing power within it. Moments later, a powerful Flare attack erupted from the hands of the monster, flew up, and struck the huge monster point blank in the face.

A massive hot explosion, piercing and powerful, soon connected. The Chaos beast gave out a snarl, and staggered back. Harbaro was soon freed, and he quickly rolled out of the way. The monster overhead staggered a bit more, shaking its head, as smoke cleared from it and the fire died out. But other than that...there was nothing. A small burn mark was on the side of its great head, but other than that no damage had been done. The strongest black magic spell in the world...had barely marked it. Harbaro noticed this, and froze in shock as he slid back.

The Chaos beast shook its head again, and then looked down at the black wizard. It roared in rage, and then stomped forward to attack Harbaro further. The black wizard was stunned, unable to move. Finally, he shook his head, and then aimed forward again. Moments later, icicles ripped out from his hands and shot forward, soon bombarding the creature with huge shards. The creature didn't even stagger. It continued to stomp forward toward the black wizard without stopping. However...before it could get any closer, a green blur suddenly darted in front of it and a flash of steel went in front of its shins. The monster hesitated for a moment from the blow, and gave out a mild shout. It looked down and saw what had happened, freezing in place. What it saw now was the ninja Tuck, restorted and standing before the great creature. Two small scrapes were on its legs, but no blood had been drawn. Now, the two faced each other down.

The Chaos beast hissed, and then suddenly shot forward with one fist. It swung it down against the ground right for the ninja, but the woman managed to leap out of the way just as the fist smashed into the ground. The monster snarled in response, and quickly swung its fist out again at the ninja. Tuck quickly leapt back, and brought his blade down against the beast's wrist. A slight scratch was made against the wrist, but nothing more. The monster didn't even notice it, and violently snapped its fist forward again. Tuck quickly jumped back and curled over to avoid the fist, which smashed into a nearby column and snapped it. Tuck stayed bent over for a moment, but then twisted back up and drove her sword again into the thing's arm. The blade nicked against the arm, but nothing else. Finally, the monster opened its mouth and breathed another stream of water against the ninja. Tuck quickly attempted to leap back, but the blast still struck her in the head in a glancing blow. It sent the woman flying back again and to the ground.

As the monster fought, however, Darwin quickly rushed forward, planted his foot down on the tail of the beast, and then drove his sword down again and again against the appendage. But no matter how he struck, he only could nick and scratch it. The skin was too tough to be pierced. The thing snarled, and spun around to try and smack away the annoyance. But when it did, it noticed a white glare. It looked up, and was just in time to see Lucinda, hands out, robes rippling in her self generated wind, and a white orb within her hands, as she fired off a massive Holy attack straight for the creature. A huge circle of swirling white lights shot forward and sailed straight for the creature. The Chaos beast glared in surprise, and Darwin quickly dodged to one side. Moments later, the circle hit, and immediately a huge blast of light erupted from the thing's face. The monster again staggered back, as a huge cloud of pure light erupted from the side of its head.

The other Light Warriors recovered and looked up to him. They watched and waited, seeing a result. But as the smoke cleared, they saw another horrible revelation. Another small burn was on its face, but nothing else. It recovered, and looked unfazed once again. Their attack had done nothing.

They gaped in surprise...and began to feel hopelessness...

* * *

_Only six more minutes...and that thing isn't even hurt yet._

_...Was he telling the truth?

* * *

_

The monster before them heaved and paused for a moment. But then, it suddenly crossed one of its arms in front of it and held up an open, clawed palm. A moment later, the air seemed to grow colder. Air seemed to drain toward the monster. The breath seemed to be drained out of their lungs. Their bodies seemed to turn to ice, and the light of the stars dimmed. Seeing this, the group began to quiver in fear. This was a horrible attack...one so foul that even Harbaro hated to use it. Only now, it was so massive and strong that it made all previous versions of the attack look like a breath of foul air. It was a terrible magic, one that threatened to crush the spirit out of the recipient. But their was no defense against it. Lucinda couldn't raise a barrier against it soon enough, and even that might not strike against one of this magnitude. All that they could do was struggle to withstand it...and watch as a purple glow began to gather around it. Plumes of dark energy blew up from it like smoke.

Finally, the thing struck. It lashed out and pointed its finger straight at Darwin. Immediately, the cloud projected from it like a ball of flame. But it also twisted and distorted. It reshaped itself as it came to become a great shrouded figure. The figure materialized a huge scythe, and out from its face a horrible grinning skull with sharp teeth emerged. It raced straight for Darwin, bringing the scythe back and giving a rending scream as if the air had all life cut from it. Darwin gazed back at it in fear, gritting his teeth and struggling to steel himself against the onslaught. Then...it struck, and immediately the purple vapor enveloped him and pierced him to his heart. The cloud swirled around his body, and all light ceased around it as shadow enveloped him.

Darwin wheeled back and yelled noiselessly as the energy struck. It felt as if ice had formed in the core of his being, and fingers were crushing his heart. His body turned cold. His flesh turned pale. He felt everything go numb. His mind filled with despair and darkness. Black images of death and nothingness surrounded him. His senses were dulled. His strength was sapped. He forgot who he was...where he was...and everything else. A great darkness from within gained strength, fueled with new power, and threatened to snuff his life out like a candle in a hurricane. He gave a gasp as the last of his air left his lungs, and he began to falter...

But the thing wasn't done. Immediately, it crossed its arms over one another and aimed at Tuck. It extended its cruel talons to the woman, and moments later lightning exploded from its hands and shot straight at her. Instantly, bolts of electricity pierced her body in a thousand places, and she writhed in pain as the bolt fried her flesh. Her body was thrown away and into a nearby column. But the thing didn't let up this time. Laughing hideously, it continued to blast her with light, watching her writhe and twist, watching her skeleton begin to burn deep within her flesh...watching her be totally helpless as the energy slowly killed her...

Abruptly, however, a massive ball of fire exploded right between its eyes, and the beast's head went back a bit. Another huge echo and wave of heat rolled through the chamber, and the thing stopped blasting the ninja long enough for her to fall helplessly to the ground. Then, it turned to who had struck it, its mind filling with fresh irritation. Yet anotherFlare had gone off and struck it head on, and once again it barely had anything to show for it. However, it at least saw who had struck, Harbaro near to Lucinda. It sneered and flexed its powerful muscles. It opened its massive mouth, and a devouring fire blazed from deep within it.

Harbaro panted. He struggled to raise his arms and strike again. But Flare was his strongest spell, and he hadn't the strength to simply strike back so quickly. It took time to recover. And so, Lucinda quickly stepped in front of him. She crossed her arms in front of her and gestured a few times, before her hands glowed with red light. It was like flame, but not dark or vicious like with the Chaos beast. Moments later, a great red wall sprang up in front of the two of them. She held after that, and crossed her staff in front of her to brace herself. Moments later, the beast erupted another blast of searing flame from its mouth.

The huge unholy fire exploded on the shield and immediately spread out. It enveloped it in its massive strength, and soon began to burn more intensely than any other attack they could bear. Soon, Lucinda felt an invisible force push her back, and she grunted and strained as she pushed forward again. Her cloak whipped violently about her. She began to sweat and clench her teeth. Still the fire came, raging hotter and stronger every second. Harbaro panted and struggled to summon the strength. But he was too weak. The spell was too strong. And, being a black wizard, he couldn't even help Lucinda with her power. The white wizard continued to buckle. The terrible heat grew stronger and stronger. The monster didn't weaken, but only brought up more and more strength. Soon, the heat began to burn away the trim of Lucinda's robe. Blood began to trickle from her nose. She screamed, feeling her very body shaking apart from her attempt to maintain the spell. But it was no use. Finally, the thing bulged once and doubled its power. Like dried twigs, the shield was shattered and obliterated, and the huge heat blasted the two wizards. Their bodies were thrown down through the heat like dead leaves in the wind, and soon they were thrown into the walls of the chamber. When they rolled down and came to a rest, they were both aflame, but neither had the immediate strength to roll and put out the fire.

At that moment, a terrible gasp went out, like a drowning man who had broke the surface and gaped in his first precious breath of air. At that, the Chaos beast turned and looked. Darwin soon after collapsed to the ground. He was white as snow, and the light seemed to have drained from his body. His fingers were curled and lifeless, and only slowly regained it. He feebly moved his numb arms to his chest, for they were ice cold and needed heat. He felt as if he had just emerged from an endless nightmare _and_ been thawed out from a block of ice. Somehow, he had shaken off the spell of death, but nearly lost all of his strength and sanity in the process. He couldn't move at all, but only lay on the ground.

At this, the Chaos beast grinned wickedly yet confidently.

The fight was over. Its victory was complete.

* * *

_No... It is finished..._

_They're out of power... They _were _too weak. Damnit...I never should have sent them..._

_I sent them to their deaths...

* * *

_

The four beaten Light Warriors could only pant on the ground now. Beaten and without stamina, they lay there and struggled to get up. Harbaro and Lucinda barely managed to roll to put out their flames. Tuck could barely move with her fried body. Darwin struggled to even cling to what was left of his life. Death now touched them again, just as it had back when the training had begun. Only now, it beckoned them...and they slowly felt themselves slipping into the blackness. Soon it would consume them all, and they would be lost to the chaos. It continued to surround them...and now grew stronger. The darkness closed around them. All heat left. Their bodies began to grow numb and lifeless, and their minds fell into shadow. Deep within their souls, a dark voice called out to them with a dark smoothness and gentleness to it...

_You have met the full breadth of your folly. Your power is swallowed by Chaos. Your hopes...dreams...lives...meaningless now. Now you see how empty and purposeless you are... Now, you fall into your one destiny..._

The four didn't respond. Instead, their minds fell deeper into darkness. Their lights dimmed. They felt their breathing slow and nearly stop...and their hearts slowly began to cease as well. Life faded...

_You will return to nothingness. You will join the power of Chaos. You will be swallowed by the ultimate power...and become no more. All you have left to do is give in... Allow your light to be extinguished. Allow your despair to quiet your resistance. Lose your pain and misery...and become nothing. It is inevitable now. You are all nothing. All you have done is nothing. You live for nothing. You die for nothing. Now, cease to exist._

Their breathing stopped. Their hearts stopped. Their limbs grew cold and as death. Their minds ceased to think. Their bodies had already become nothing. Their minds were in nothing. Now, their souls as well drifted off. Only darkness and despair remained. Soon they would be nothing, as their will gave out...as they gave up.

_Do it. Join with it. It is your destiny. From the moment you were born, this was what to become of you. This is your only fate. Everything you are is worthless. Everything you were is meaningless. And you will never be anything else. Give in. Fade into shadow forever..._

Their lights faded...and turned to gray.

_Give in...and become nothing...become chaos..._

Only then...did the gray linger.

_Do it. Fade._

The gray did not change, but remained.

The voices within them grew more biting and fierce.

_Do it!_

Still, the lights stayed.

_DO IT YOU BASTARDS!_

Then, the lights changed at last.

They grew stronger.

The voice continued to scream and curse at them, yelling every insult and obscenity known to them. It called them worthless and pathetic. It dragged up past failures. It conjured illusions to make them doubt themselves. But it was all in vain. The light soon show forward stronger than ever. Their minds began to move again. Warmth flooded into them again, and their hearts, after a moment of silence, began to beat again. Their breath returned, and soon their flesh turned pink and warm again. As it did, the voice grew more harsh and bitter, but for all its cursing and screaming it could not make them lay down and die. Slowly, their eyes reopened, as their strength returned. They were still battered and weak, but they were not dead. They wouldn't fall now, not like that. Eyes now open, blazing with determination again, they began to lean up and rise.

_No..._ A foul, loathesome voice cried in their brains. _No...no... Why! Why do you try to live when death is inevitable! Why do you rise! Why bother even to keep breathing! You are nothing to Chaos! Surely you have to know that by now! You can't win! You're less than insects! Everything you are is meaningless and pointless! You are less than nothing! And you cannot resist the chaos that you will inevitable become! It's pointless to live! It's pointless to fight! So why are you still trying!_

In response, the four, slowly staggering to their feet, stumbling and waving, finally stood. At that, they turned and glared at the monster. But now...their gazes were filled with a hate and determination that could not be crushed, even when their bodies were destroyed. They glared back with such a power and might at the hated creature, that even the thing was astonished and unable to react...unable to strike them down as quickly as before.

"...Because Bahamut was right." Darwin finally stated.

"In the end, you are nothing." Tuck added.

"You couldn't crush our inner light no matter how much darkness you had." Harbaro uttered.

"Because your power does lie in nothingness. You could only try to make us despair to make us die. In the end, you could only win if we let you win." Lucinda contributed.

With that, Darwin hefted his sword and crossed it in front of him. "And that won't work again. Our light is about to drown our your darkness. This fight is far from over."

The monster glared at them. Its easy victory was gone now. But still, it snorted at this. It was angry now at the impudence and the arrogance, but it had no doubt of the inevitable. It would crush them now. It would vent such horrors and evil that they would beg for death before they were done. Now, its anger was aroused. It grit its teeth and dripped acidic drool. It snarled at the four nothings before it and plotted more violence. Even as it did, balls of fire began to grow in its hands, and they began to smolder and crackle with dark flame. Its hate swelled and its chaotic evil raised to its peak. It drew the full measure of its power from the Oblivion Stone, and prepared to finish these weaklings.

Then, bellowing a horrible roar, it rushed at them again.

* * *

Bahamut was awstruck for a moment. He hadn't expected such a response from the Light Warriors. He thought they were truly finished. But after thinking that...he cursed himself again. He never should have doubted them. He promised he wouldn't, and here he was doing it again. He believed they could beat this monster. And now, more than ever, he believed they could. He had to remember that there was a time thousands of years ago in which he too had seemed helpless and destroyed before a hellish foe. But he had triumphed then. Now, these new heroes would triumph. He believed again. 

_The Age of Chaos will end tonight..._

_It has to end in four minutes.

* * *

_

The Chaos beast flung its fires at the four of them. However, Darwin and Tuck were on the side of either wizard now, and they quickly seized them and pulled them to one side. The balls of fire erupted against stone columns, shattering them and blasting them into smoldering fragments. For once, one of the monster's attacks had hit nothing. And now the group was clear to initiate another attack. The monster stepped back and snarled viciously at them, looking at either side.

Darwin, however, was already rushing in from his side. The Chaos monster saw this and sneered. Then, it merely waited. Once Darwin attempted to hit it, it would simply strike back and smash him down. And so it stood there and waited for the attack. However, Darwin did something unexpected. Instead of attacking, he rushed on by to the column areas, particular to one that was near the monster but was cracked from damage. He immediately leapt up and gave a slash across it as he ran past. In doing so, he sliced through the bottom of it, and then went on by. The beast turned and glared at him, and was just in time to hear the column creak and crack. After a few moments, it lurched forward and broke itself the rest of the way on top. With a rush, it suddenly tipped forward and fell toward the massive beast. There was enough force in it for it to slam down considerbly hard on top of the creature, and it stumbled back from the blow. Darwin continued to rush by.

However, the monster didn't stagger long. It gave a bellow of rage, and then threw the column off of it like it was made of balsa wood. As it flung over to the ground and shattered on impact, the thing lurched forward and surged toward the enemy. Darwin was continuing to rush by, but the thing was too fast for him. Within a flash it was on him, and its tail flew out and whipped at its legs. A biting pain shot through them as some of the armor was flailed off, and soon he stumbled forward. A moment later, and the monster was on him. It shot down and seized the Light Warrior in one grasp before he even finished falling. It drew the knight up, intending to slam him down again and break his neck this time. However, no sooner had he arisen than the knight spun around in his grasp and drove forward his holy blade with all his might straight and true to a desired target. A moment later, the blade managed to pierce right into one of the eyes of Chaos and instantly stabbed it out.

For the first time, the monster felt true agony, and with a roar it threw Darwin aside. Soon, the warrior had his blade ripped out as it held in his grasp, and his body was flung into another column. This time, his armor was dented by the impact, and a wad of blood flew from his mouth. He soon slid off, but the monster was unable to renew its assault. Instead, it grasped its eye in pain, all the while fuming in more range and anger. It staggered about and dribbled more blood and froth from it. Eventually, however, it was able to pull its hand away, and now fumed and snarled in rage. After a moment longer, it turned fully to the fallen Darwin. It was further enraged to see that the knight was not yet dead, and quickly planned to finish the job.

However, it was unable to. Its wings suddenly flapped out and its body staggered forward as a blinding white blast struck it in the back. Burning white holy energy pierced into its flesh, giving it another slight burn from the power. After a moment, however, it recovered and turned around in fury. It saw Lucinda bracing her arm in front of her. She was panting and weak now, but still had her hand aimed at it from where it had fired the spell. The beast flapped its wings out again, and began to stomp forward.

Yet the thing had paid for not kept its eyes out for the enemy. In the delays that Lucinda and Darwin had afforded, Tuck had pulled out a new item...a pair of gauntlets that were oversized, almost as if they belonged on a giant. She banged them together, and summoned a new power out of them that flooded into her body. As it did...her muscles bulged, her senses were heightened, and her body became slimmer. What more, Harbaro extended his hands over her and summoned a new power. As he chanted and waved over her, a green aura slowly flooded into her flesh. It radiated from the inside. And as it did...her brain worked faster. Her heart beat quicker. Her breathing sped up. Soon, a new power was coursing through her, and she was charged with a power far beyond that of her normal strength. With that, she glared at the monster and drew her long curved blade.

The thing was stampeding right at Lucinda now. The white wizard panted in exhaustion, and reeled back to prepare a defense. But there was no time. The thing was already on it. However, as it was just about to attack, a green blur suddenly flashed by its side. Moments later, it froze and gave a yell. It halted and nearly stumbled, and bent over to its side. Catching up a moment later to the tremendous speed that had gone by, an eruption of foul, black blood came from the side of its calf. It bent down and glared at it in astonishment as it roared in pain. It couldn't believe it as it looked to its leg. There was a long cut alongside it. Somehow, the weakling had gained enough power to actually draw blood. It paused and sneered for a moment. Behind, it heard the culprit come to a halt. Already, it could sense its presence there. And on doing so, it began to grow enraged. Immediately, it summoned more dark fire within its hand. It wheeled around in a flash, and flung another ball of flame right at where it sensed Tuck to be.

However, the speed as well as the power of Tuck had increased. In a flash, she had not only dodged forward and avoided the blow, but raced past the monster to give it another slash against its opposite leg.

The creature bellowed in fury and grasped for its other appendage. It turned around madly, its rage beginning to grow again. Now, it was growing as all dark-natured beings eventually turned. It realized a new truth. Despite its power...despite its might...despite all of its best laid plans that extended for millenia...it still wasn't unstoppable. After all this time...all the manuevers to evade the espers...it realized it could still lose. And it could lose to humans. Humans...that it had relied on for power and wickedness...that it had always dismissed as weak and inconsequential...could actually hurt it. And as it was for any creature that realized that death was potential...and that it confronted something that, however unlikely, could possibly destroy it...it reacted with a surge of anger...but also doubt...and the smallest, insignificant amount of fear.

The thing flared up in dark power again, and wheeled around to continue its battle.

* * *

_Good...they're actually hurting it now. But it still has a lot of stamina left..._

_And they only have three minutes.

* * *

_

The beast wheeled back its arm next. It held for a brief moment, as the entire arm was covered with a dark aura of energy. Again, it flew off of the arm in wisps like a dark fire. Then, in a flash, the beast swung it forward. It was with such force that it shook the air and made the ground rumble, and immediately a great black shockwave emerged. The blast sailed straight for the ninja. Tuck gasped a moment, but then attempted to run for it. However, it was useless. The wave spread out too far and rushed right at her with blinding speed. In the end, the ninja was only able to jump as it was about to hit. But it was too short. Despite her added power, the wave struck one of her outstretched legs. Instantly, it snapped, and she yelled out in pain. Soon, she fell to the ground and writhed there for a few brief moments.

The monster ignored her, and instead wheeled back to Lucinda. The white wizard was up again, and she was summoning another spell. Hissing, the beast began to raise a massive clawed foot to smash down on the ground. It began to charge with energy as it drew it up. However, Lucinda was faster. Straining and grunting, she managed to make her palms glow again, and a moment later fired off a ball of holy energy right at the thing. But its anger was too strong. The blast exploded on the old injury on its head, but it was too late. Though it burned him deeper, he drove his foot down anyway through the eruption and cracked the ground. The floor split and instantly expanded outward, and a quake rumbled the ground furiously, shattering the few columns that were left and fracturing the world. As for Lucinda, she was powerless to dodge. She could only quiver on her feet for a few moments, before the force of the eruption threw her down to the ground. It opened up moments later, swallowing her within. At that time, the beast could have slammed the ground together again and finished the white wizard...

But it instead wheeled around to its two final opponents. Harbaro had come over to Darwin now. The knight was weakened and fallen, but the black wizard was already casting the same green circle of light around it. It sped up as it encircled him, and charged him with a green aura. He could do little with his new power, weakened as he was. Several of his bones were broken. However, even then, he managed to slowly draw himself up, and with the aid of his speed-infused body he was able to rise quicker. The Chaos monster bellowed. With that, it balled its hands into fists and crossed them in front of itself. It thrashed its tail out and grit its teeth. Its feet slid out into position. Soon, the ground began to quake again. The air felt charged with a dark power, and it was quickly growing. As it did, the thing opened its palms, and slowly through great straining began to pull its arms back. On doing so, it slowly grit its teeth...revealing that a blinding light of fire was beyond...and growing.

Harbaro and Darwin both gaped at this. They knew what it was. The monster was summoning a Flare attack of its own. And where they were, they could not survive it. Lucinda was the only one who could throw up a barrier to this, but she was already down. They had no protection left. For a moment, they panicked as he charged. Darwin struggled to get to his feet, but even if he could get clear he couldn't take Harbaro with him. And so, the black wizard realized after a moment, there was only one thing left to do. Though he was already weary and was nearly spent, he had to try this.

As the monster continued to summon its strength, Harbaro folded his hands together. He soon grit his own teeth as a wave of energy exploded around him. Heat flooded him, for he was barely able to control this spell. It began to singe his own clothing again, and pushed his hat back. However, he bit down and kept summoning. Soon, a blinding light formed between his own hands. It only continued to grow as he pushed it. However, it also became harder and harder to control. Soon the muscles of the wizard were bulging. His own nose began to bleed. His teeth began to crack as he tightened them. But still he pushed. He had no other choice. The wind and heat blew back his hat, but still he summoned with everything he had left. Finally, he was able to focus the power. He collapsed it into a ball. Then, nearly exhausting his mind, he threw it forward with all its might. As he did, the huge beast, its own power at its peak, opened its mouth and fired its own blast. The two deadly flares of energy shot forward with burning fury, and moments later the two collided.

A blinding explosion rocked the chamber. A crater was blasted into the ground and ceiling, and huge fragments of stone were thrown everywhere. Fires and heat raged all over the area, and Harbaro screamed out as he was ripped off his feet and flung violently across the room to smash into the wall behind. He collapsed to the ground, thin, pale, and weak, and unable to throw up even the slightest spell now. He collapsed in a nearly lifeless pile, struggling to recover from the horrible pain that his body was covered with.

In short order, however, the huge monster realized it hadn't succeeded. Only one person was down. The other had already fled. Snorting, it turned around to try and sense him, and soon it found his weak life signature. He was already behind it. It turned and looked, and was just in time to see Darwin finish activating the giant gauntlets. As he did, his body began to bulge as well. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared as his body became superhuman compared to before. Despite the low amount of energy he had left, the two spells had suddenly made him have the strength of seven Darwins.

Now, he too was ready to strike.

* * *

Bahamut felt himself consciously begin to sweat now. There were only two minutes left. Somehow, they were still alive. But they were running out of time. If they couldn't finish this thing...assuming they wouldn't run out of strength first...then it would be over. He realized that once the time was up, they would only have a few more moments. Luckily, he had bantered with Odin a bit before the esper had struck the tower. But that would buy them perhaps twenty extra seconds. After that, it was finished. This monster wasn't weakening yet. 

_Come on...beat him...

* * *

_

The demon creature gurgled once, but then swung its tail forward at the foe. It knew the knight couldn't dodge it. However, Darwin risked something else. Quickly, he threw himself back and to the ground with what strength he had left. As he did, he used one last thrust to fling his sword up as fast as he could. The beast saw this coming, but it was too late. It couldn't pull it back. And so, its tail shot over the deadly blade, and a moment later the end of it flew off with a stream of foul, black blood.

The monster staggered and reeled back a bit at this. However, the Light Warriors soon renewed their assault. They too knew that time was running out. They had to punish this thing and quickly. They had to pound it until it was finished. And so, soon after it staggered, Tuck suddenly flew up with a battle cry. Despite her injured leg, she threw herself forward right at the beast with her blade drawn. However, she was turning her own body into a weapon as she did so. The monster saw her coming, and quickly slipped to one side to let the Masamune sail harmlessly by. But she continued to sail forward with her added speed and power, and soon drove her head deep into the monster's solar plexus. It wasn't strong enough to break anything, but the power was still so strong that it drove deep into the monster, and it left a bruise on its bronze skin. The wind was knocked out of the creature in one blast of fetid air. It staggered even further down.

Then, one final blow struck it as Tuck staggered off and Darwin forced himself to his feet. Lucinda managed to raise her bleeding, broken body from the chasm. She had no power left. She had only enough strength for one final spell. A part of her told her to use it to heal herself. But she realized she couldn't win this battle without magic power. She could have healed Darwin, but something inside her said to use her power for a different purpose. And so, she instead summoned every last ounce of strength inside her to fire off the biggest Holy spell that she could muster. It seemed to drain the life from her very body, but she didn't care. She made it larger, stronger, and more furious than any previous spell on record in the fight. And with everything she had, she fired it at the foul beast. Moments later, it connected with the old injuries in between its eyes. As it erupted into a holy smite of pure radiant power, the explosion rocked deep and powerful. The glorious light pierced through the evil of the being and blinded it, and its flesh fried from the power. At last, the eruption broke its skin and thrust a deep blow into its head, making it explode in blood and pour off of its brow. The blow was too much. The thing staggered one last time before falling back and landing on the ground. Its massive bulk hit and rocked the chamber. Lucinda gave off one last gasp, then fell as well and passed out.

The beast stayed down for a moment, but thensnapped to its feet. It fumed with horrible rage now, its anger fully brought up. Immediately, a dark aura exploded around it. Feelings of evil energy and dark power began to flood through the area. A great aura was generated around it. The lights dimmed in the area, and soon they began to go out. As they did, dark waves began to radiate from the thing. Ripples of numbing dark feelings flooded over everyone. The ground began to shake again, and soon the entire floor began to fracture and fall into the room below. The bleeding thing was filled with power now, and blazing with anger and rage. It had taken enough. It would endure no more. Its chaotic evil was charged to the fullest point, and now it unleashed it.

Waves of dark energy flooded everywhere. Immediately, they morphed into dark wraiths once again. Reapers flooded everywhere, penetrating into everything and everyone in the area. They pierced into building and penetrated stone and flesh. Green dragons on the lower levels gurgled and died as the spell spread to them. But that was only the beginning. The quake intensified, rattling the area apart as it thundered forth. Massive bolts of energy came out from it and began to rip into the surrounding room, tearing apart the walls and the foundations. Poisonous miasma poured from its wounds, covering the area with a terrible sickness and pestilence-inducing waste. The thing finally opened its mouth. Immediately, a blaze like Perdition's Flames poured forth from its mouth and washed forward with horrible, devastating heat right for the two warriors. They gaped at it, but then struggled to defend themselves right before the flames washed over them. As they did, they vanished into the flaming ruin. The monster sent wraith after wraith after them too, knowing that as they melted in the heat that the reapers would crush the life out of them. No shield would survive this. Nothing would. The massive blaze ripped through the stone and melted it into nothingness, and an unholy blast filled the entire tenth floor with flame. The area was annihilated, and filled with death and misery as it vented the full measure of its chaos.

For what seemed like an eternity this endured. But at last, the thing ceased. It was actually panting now. It had worn out its own incredible power. But it also grinned wickedly at what it saw. The area was surrounded with death. Only black, smoldering ruins were left now. The ground was fractured and disjointed. It didn't even look like a floor anymore. The Oblivion Stone on its throne was all that was left, but even the throne was slightly melted. Nevertheless, the thing had exhausted so much of its power and drawn so much of it that the darkness began to light. The stone looked covered with a bleak, black mist now, and still radiated much evil, but it had lost much of its power to the Chaos beast. It began to shimmer and shake, struggling to maintain itself. It was no longer full of empty blackness, but rather looked like a cloud struggling not to break. Its power was at its limit. However, it hardly seemed to matter, for there was nothing left. Not even bodies remained now. The Light Warriors were no more. It had taxed the strength of the beast to its limit, but now none was left.

The thing bared its teeth and grinned.

In the end, chaos always triumphed.

* * *

Bahamut was stunned into silence. His link was broken. He couldn't sense them anymore. That could mean only one thing. With only one minute before the fate of the planet was sealed, it was over. The thing had won. In the end, it had destroyed the last hope of the world. Now the Crystals would fall totally into darkness. There would be nothing left. The world would become a place of chaos, and everything would die. His friends...they were gone. There was nothing left for any of them. The world was doomed, and the Age of Chaos would never end. 

And yet...despite the fact that the obvious reality stared him in the face...he refused to believe it.

_I will not doubt again._

_Light Warriors...if you can hear me...finish this monstrosity, and put an end to the evil of Hades forever.

* * *

_

The demon laughed horribly, letting its voice sound. Its victory was complete. Now the world would be forever in evil and chaos. It was the ultimate being. It was unstoppable. Its life would last forever. The last pathetic hope of humanity was gone. The inevitablility of death had crushed them, and chaos had lived. An age of eternal darkness was coming. Nothing would ever stop it again. Nothing. It would make sure of this. In the future, the Fiends would wage war only on humanity. They would wipe them out first. Only when they were crushed, and the hope of the world was forever ruined, would the espers die. Then their planet would follow. But first...there was the matter of summoning them again...to appear in the future...to doom the world to an endless cycle of death and drive it forever into chaos...

The thing turned back to the stone. Yes, that was all it needed. Just to go there. Clenching its hands into fists, it began to walk toward it...

Abruptly, however, a sting was in its foot. It was biting and hard, and it made the thing recoil a bit. Snarling, it looked down to the source. Then...it saw something it couldn't believe.

Harbaro lived. Half of his face was burned away, and his hat was gone. But still he had the strength to cast another spell of Saber on himself, and then had driven his Catclaw dagger deep into the foot of the monster. And now, despite how pathetic the attack was, it was effective. It began to fountain out blood, and it would not cease. Despite the futility, despite the uselessness of it all, the black wizard had lived and dared to keep striking. The Chaos beast merely snarled at the black wizard. It raised a foot to break off the human's skull and shatter it...

But a sharp pain in the head stopped it. Soon, blood poured down into its vision. Snarling, the beast looked up and was just in time to see a heavy hammer of mythril drop from its head. It had been flung straight at it, and had bashed open the wound again. Now, the blood loss from up there was making it dizzy. Sneering, it looked out to the source, and saw Lucinda. Her legs were shattered into bloody bits, but she had managed to pull out a hammer and fling it right at the monster's head, and her aim had been true. It had not only hurt, it had done a little damage. Two of them lived. The thing sneered at its own failure to kill them, but it didn't care. It would kill them now. It stomped forward and prepared to end the life of this nuisance...

When suddenly...it found another pain. It was a sharp stab, and continued to pierce through. It felt this, and at first it was going to roar in pain and anger. However...it didn't. For the first time, its face fell a bit. Its expression turned to a bit of surprise and stunned status. It paused a bit longer, but then turned and looked over to the enemy. As it turned, it saw another sight. Tuck, her mask ripped off but her face full of fury, stood before the thing with an angry glare. Lacerations had ripped through much of her flesh and clothing, but she didn't care. All she cared about was that she stared defiantly and darkly against the great creature...and that her hands no longer held the Masamune. Instead, the stunned beast slowly looked down at its own body...toward the source of the stab. As it did, it saw a blood-soaked blade was poking out from its massive bronze chest. Blood continued to pour forth from around the wound as the blade cut an unclotable wound.

The Chaos beast gaped in shock for a moment longer. But then, the pain hit it. Giving a roar, it fell down, for the first time, to its knees. It grasped its stomach in rage, feeling the terrible wound from inside of it. The sword shifted within, cutting deeper into the creature. It drove it into more agony. Hissing and snarling, the beast thrashed its great wings in agony. Its mouth dribbled blood. But soon, a fire of wrath began to build up in it. It summoned its great strength to itself once again, and threw up its head in rage. It intended to blow the human away for daring to do this...for daring to make it so enraged...for daring to give it this kind of wound. How dare such a miserable...pathetic...

But as it looked up, it froze. Tuck had stepped back now. Instead, Darwin now stood there. His face blazed with passion and power. One of his arms was gone and dripping blood from a severed stump, and his body was charred and burning. However, in the one other hand, he had his arm bent back behind his head and held the Excalibur. It was posed for the final strike.

Now, at last, it came to it. The Light Warriors rose now and glared at their hated foe. The Chaos monster stared back. Its eyes widened, and for the first time the anger totally left its face. Now, it realized the shocking truth. It was over. It had thought itself so powerful...so mighty... Deep within its twisted mind, what was left of Hades gaped in astonishment. It couldn't believe this. After a thousand years...humans had done it. They were the ones who finished it. The weak useless race...the playthings of espers...had done it. All of its evil and might was undone by them.

At that...it realized that it was wrong. It realized it had miscalculated. In the end...Bahamut had been right. There had been great power within men. Their race was strong enough in the end. Somehow...impossible as it was...they had come full circle. They were no longer the sheep anymore. Now...they had power to defend themselves from any foe. It realized that it had been the last survivor of the Age of the Espers. The Age of Chaos would be the final end of the great myths and dark creatures. It would mark the end where humans had been the easy prey of the great powers of the world, and the times where spells and curses and legends had ruled them came to an end. From this day forward, they would shape their own destiny.

This...was the final fantasy of the world.

Then, it came. Darwin brought Excalibur down and sliced off the great horned head of the demon of Chaos.

Even as the head fell, it suddenly closed its eyes and bellowed in agony. It started quiet, but it soon began to rise. It was no longer a mere scream...but was something more. It grew like the force of a hurricane, and quickly built in strength and power. As it did, the cold wind grew in the room. It pushed and gathered, and soon began to whip around violently. Heat and cold alternated. Black light eminated from the neck wound, and the body of Chaos began to shudder. The hands tightened into fists and balled up. The wounds began to enlarge...and black light poured from them as well. The body sizzled and continued to shift. The wings spasmed horribly, and the scream grew and grew. The terrible noise grew as deafening as a thunderclap, and yet still grew. The huge malestom kept growing, throwing about debris and stone beneath them. The Light Warriors gaped in surpise, but staggered back. Crying out, they grabbed their own ears as the final thing screamed. Its body continued to bulge as the dark light intensified. Foul smoke poured out from it, and it was wound up into the malestrom. It all continued to build, ripping off shreds of clothing, flinging about great stones, and continuing to writhe the huge body in a chaotic storm.

Then, at last, the body exploded. A rush of cold air whipped past the group and nearly threw them off their feet. A huge shockwave came forward and spread down into every floor. Its force pushed all enemies to the ground and continued to force itself into the earth. The surrounding world shuddered. The black storm over the building whipped harder. It was a blast of pure darkness as the evil energy of the creature flared up in one last biting blast. It smothered all feelings of light and cheerfulness, and numbed the flesh. It paled the four as they endured it, and all smelled of death and destruction. The thing's body evaporated entirely into this black energy and fountained it out over the whole land without end.

But at last, it did end. The last of it was spent, and it faded. The dark wind ended. The coldness vanished. Slowly, warmth began to come into this chamber. Light began to shine again from the various lights. The tremors stopped, and the wind died once again. A massive blackened crater, still feeling numbing to the touch, was in the center of the room. Merely touching the edge of the crater made the blackened stone crumble to dust. Pieces of debris continued to settle, and everything else calmed. The Oblivion Stone still stood in the throne...but its power was nearly spent. It had lost almost all of it just now, including the spirit of Hades. At last, the foul creature, still screaming, gave up his energy to be recycled into the planet. As for its miserable wicked soul...it was speeding into the bowels of Hell to meet its deserved fate. Only the slightest remnant remained. The stone flashed from opaque to clear now as the chamber stilled. As debris and dust slowly settled, the black smoke within it struggled to hold itself together. All was quiet in the temple, for the deadly creatures on lower floors now cowered in fear or struggled to escape, having lost their dark leader.

However, they were not all that remained. Recovering, slowly putting their arms down, and hardly daring to breathe...the Light Warriors put their arms down and gaped. They were covered with grievous injuries. Their strength was nearly gone. They had all lost a lot of blood and were ready to collapse, perhaps even die. And yet, they all now stood in their charred, weakened status. They were alive.

The beast of Chaos, the enemy of all life, was destroyed.

* * *

Had it been any other time, Bahamut would have rejoiced. He would have wept for joy and cried out in triumph. They had done it. Something deemed that was impossible for humans had occured. They had defeated a dark esper...and its foul evil that it had collected. The world was at peace again, and it was all thanks to them. The cycle of death was broken, and all because of them. They would be heroes forever. Indeed, the Age of Man had finally begun. If it had been any other time, Bahamut would have given into these feelings and indulged in these thoughts. But unfortunately, it was not. The Oblivion Stone still remained, and weakened as it was it could one day do this all again. And if the Temple blew up while they and the shards were still in it, then there would be no way to stop it when it eventually recovered. 

And now...time was up.

_Light Warriors!_ Bahamut immediately blasted out in a telepathic message. _You have no time! You have to destroy the Stone now!

* * *

_

The weary fighters raised their heads at this. Battered and tired as they were, they realized that Bahamut spoke the truth. They turned their heads and looked to the Oblivion Stone. Sure enough, it still had power. This would never truly be finished unless it too was destroyed. Its power was greatly diminished now. Now was their chance, after it has exhausted most of its power on giving it to the Chaos beast. They had to push forward for one last shot, and hope it was enough. Quickly, they turned and began to rush to it.

* * *

"So, you decided to show up as well." 

Bahamut turned his head immediately to this, expecting an enemy. But there was none. Instead, there was another person outside. He had shed his human disguise, and once again looked like the mighty warrior he was as he dismounted Slepnir. The horse was already buckling nervously, looking ready to take off. But its master kept it quiet. Now, he glared at Bahamut.

The esper gave him a nod. "So, you decided to abandon your kingdom?"

* * *

The Light Warriors could barely move over the rubble. It was too fractured and wild, and they were too weak. Tuck had to rush over and grab Lucinda as she crawled forward. In a painful manner, she dragged her too her feet, but she didn't care. They both soon went over to the stone, while Harbaro and Darwin did the best they could to help them as well. They were so weak they all had to work together now, but it didn't matter. Soon, they were all gathered at the stone, and they quickly dropped into the ready position.

* * *

"Just momentarily." Odin darkly answered. "You're not the only one that has an interest in wiping out evil…but I have a special tie into this evil." 

Bahamut raised an eyebrow to this. "So? You think this is Hades?"

"I sensed his evil." Odin simply replied, turning his head to the citadel.

* * *

_Hurry...please hurry..._

"I know you're both weak." Darwin announced to both Harbaro and Lucinda. "But you have to try one more push. Put everything you've got into it. We're dead anyway the moment we destroy this thing. In seconds, that attack it going to blow this place. We might as well put everything we've got into this."

The wizards hestated only a moment, before swallowing and nodding. All of them knew this now. It wasn't until now, victorious over Chaos, that they realized that doom was inevitable. There wasn't any time or energy left to escape the Temple. This was it. This was their last push. And so, they had to try it the best that they could. They had to make this last shot without holding back, and they would. Immediately, Harbaro and Lucinda bent their heads. Soon, they soon strained and grunted and tightened up. They were summoning the last bit that they had, but now was the time. Soon, their power began to rise and their attacks came forward. As they did, Tuck and Darwin both sighed. They both stood back and put their swords down to their side. They prepared for one last X slash...

* * *

"I've sensed several evils in this monstrous thing." 

"But it's his structure." Odin went on. "He was intelligent, regardless of anything else. He claimed that I couldn't destroy him…that he had set the foundation for something bigger. It seems as if that has quite literally come to pass. And now, I shall finish what I begun with him."

* * *

_Now! Now! Do it now!_

"We'll hit it with everything on three." Darwin announced. "When we hit three, discharge your spells and strike. Everything we have on one last strike. On three."

Lucinda and Harbaro were sweating now. Blood came from their noses. They were unable to respond as auras began to form around their hands. But he knew they heard. He looked to Tuck after that, and saw her nod and get ready. He too did so, and he leveled his gaze and breathed hard. He slowly began to count.

"One... Two..."

However...he suddenly halted. They all did. Just as he was about to say three, a pleasant, calm, and promising voice sounded in their heads in a simple, almost laughing voice.

_Now, you four don't want to do that, do you?

* * *

_

With that, the warrior esper raised both of his hands together and placed the palms together. Bahamut raised an eyebrow at this.

"You truly think you have the power?"

"I have not stopped training in five hundred years." Odin darkly replied, almost sounding a bit insulted. "I have gained much. You may want to shield yourself."

* * *

Bahamut gaped in surprise. What had made them halt? They were so close... Why did they stop? They could run out of time at any moment now! He struggled to pierce their minds and yell at them, to tell them what was going on, to tell them to react... He reached deep inside them, struggling to urge them on... 

But the four couldn't hear him. They couldn't hear anything, nothing but the pleasant voice within their heads.

_You can't do it, can you?_ The voice pleasantly addressed. _No...not when this means so much. Why not take it? It can give you far more power than you have now. It can make you all kings and queens. It can usher in a new era for your race. Within this stone is the power and wisdom to rule all peoples of your race. So why not take it for your own? Chaos is gone now. Now, the power passes on to you. Its yours rightfully. So accept this great gift..._

The four hesitated. Normally, they would have pushed through and attacked. But not now. No... Weak as it was, the stone still had great power. And now, it extended its full remaining influence over them. It delved deep into their minds and grasped their hearts, struggling to talk with them. It had nothing left...but it was all that it needed for another few moments. It had blocked their mentor, and now they were finished. Just a few more seconds and they would be the stone's...

* * *

Bahamut paused a moment, but then gave a nod. He bent his body lower to the ground and put his wings back, covering his face with his arms. As for Odin, the warrior grunted and focused. As he did, he slowly drew his arms apart. A beam of light was between them, gleaming so brightly and strong that the darkness of the air did nothing to stop it. It only continued to shine on through the wickedness and grow in power. Bahamut had seen this once before, but it was much stronger now. Four times as strong as it had been before. He continued to draw it out, opening his arms wider and wider. Finally, he grunted again, and then quickly snapped his arms around and seized it at the middle. Odin had formed a new Gunge Lance. And now, he turned his full attention to the structure.

* * *

_No reason to fear...no reason to worry... Think about it...think about what I can give you... Just think about it for a few more moments..._

However, at this, Darwin grit his teeth and groaned. The sound of his voice, however weak and mild, nevertheless broke the silence and captivation that the voice had in their heads. It shook them back to reality. It made them forget about any base desires, and made them think instead of what the mission was. They thought of the time and about the empty promises of power that this wicked object gave. All at once, the voice turned wicked, vile and loathesome. It also became craven, quivering in terror, desperate to say anything to save its life. And that only intensified as they listened.

_No...no! Listen to me! Think a moment longer!_

But that was over. As one, they all opened their eyes and glared at the stone. The hated object had given its last hurrah. The last of its strength was broken. The last defense shattered. Now, it was time. They were somehow fortunate, but there was nothing left. They had to strike before the end. Gritting their teeth and glaring darkly at the object, they all held together and braced for the end.

"Three!"

* * *

Glaring darkly through his burning red eyes, Odin hefted the spear over his shoulder and looked up, taking careful aim right at the source of the evil. A brief feeling of hesitation went through Bahamut, for he could still sense…at least, he thought he could…smatterings of light within the darkness. But it couldn't be real…not with all this pulsing evil. And so, he merely stood his ground and watched. 

"Hades…I stab the heart of your legacy." Odin sneered. Then, he threw the Gunge Lance right at the building.

* * *

_Please...let them succeed...

* * *

_

Deep within the heart of the tower, moments before four weak humans were burnt away into ashes by a tremendous power...a combined Flare spell, Holy spell, and the dual strikes of the Masamune and Excalibur struck the Oblivion Stone. The last of its strength buckled. The black smoke faded as it spread out and struggled to sustain itself...but was then spent. As the blaze tore into the area, missing the stone entirely, these strikes hit none the less.

And then, like a thrown glass, the stone shattered into fragments and became nothingness.

* * *

To be concluded... 


	20. The Terran

"Good morning, Lord Bahamut."

Bahamut's eyes immediately shot open. Last he remembered, he was covered with sweat, his heart racing a mile a minute, and nearly hyperventilating. All of his senses and will had been bent to getting the group to move, and he thought that all was finished. That was a moment ago. But now, his body had suddenly changed. His heart was beating normally. His breathing was regular. His brow was free from sweat, and only now, in his new frame of mind, did his body register any anxiety at all. However...that wasn't all.

To Bahamut's surprise, he looked around himself. He saw pale white marble caves around him, carved and polished and reinforced with columns. A wide sunroof covered with glass and several glass windows were in the room, and sunlight was pouring in. Birds sang and flew outside. The smell was different was well. Although Bahamut had never seen a chamber like this before, and was surprised to be there...he realized where he was. The artchitecture was unmistakable although it was much newer than what he had seen. Somehow...he was right back in Terratopolis. And it appeared he was in a chamber designed just for himself, but though it was new to him already had to be hundreds of years old.

The great esper looked around for a moment, before turning his head and spotting his attendents. They were at least still there. Khan and Singh both looked up to him expectantly. As always, they picked up on his emotions and sensed his distress and confusion, and they too were puzzled as a result. However, they too were different. They looked much more refined and well-tempered, as if they hadn't spent years upon years living with a wilder race, and that they hadn't been crammed under the earth for so long. It was as if they had never breathed of a world of Chaos, and the whole world looked brighter as well. Nevertheless, they did stare at Bahamut with some surprise.

"Master? Is something wrong?" Singh addressed.

"Lord Leviathan was expecting you for breakfast in ten minutes." Khan added.

Bahamut blinked at this. Leviathan? He hadn't talked to Leviathan in over a thousand years. He stared about in further puzzlement for a moment, before turning back to the two of them. "What is this? We are back in Terratopolis? When did we leave the Dragon Isles?"

To this, both of Bahamut's attendents looked puzzled. They turned to each other to see if the other knew what he was talking about, it appeared. When there was no response, they merely looked back and shrugged. "Sir," Khan began. "You've been in Terratopolis for the past four hundred years. You said you didn't like being around the dragons because of the way they treated you."

"I suppose we could schedule a meeting..." Singh offered.

Bahamut blinked in puzzlement. He hadn't? What was going on? And yet...he felt a bit strange. He felt as if he already knew what Khan had just told him. Somehow...he felt the memory of being in Terratopolis for four hundred years. And of making that appointment with Leviathan. For some reason, he had those memories. But why did he have them? What about all that had transpired?

"What of the Four Fiends?" Bahamut asked next. "And the Temple of Chaos? And the Light Warriors?"

This, however, only made the two react in more confusion. They seemed a bit unnerved now, and were growing more anxious about Bahamut's behavior.

"Sir...we really don't know what you're talking about." Singh finally shrugged. "Odin destroyed the Temple of Chaos over two thousand years ago. You destroyed the Four Fiends even later than that. And we have never heard anything of any Light Warriors."

"Are you feeling ok?" Khan suggested.

Bahamut paused at this, his face still clouded with doubt and puzzlement. He thought he was beginning to understand what was going on, but this didn't make sense. What it appeared to be, he realized, was that there was success. The Oblivion Stone had to have been destroyed. And with its destruction, all of the horrors in the future were undone. The great kingdoms of men never fell. Elves and dwarves continued to prosper. The Lufenians still dwelt in their palace in the sky. The Four Fiends were again locked in their prisons. And though there was still evil in the world of men, it was diminished now and countered by the good of humanity. And because Tiamat had never awakened and made that grim revelation to Bahamut, he realized that he had never seen a need to leave Terratopolis. Therefore, two thousand years after the Temple was destroyed, he was still here. However, that all didn't explain what was going on right now...

If the future had been replaced, then that also meant that the same future in which the Light Warriors would eventually assemble to fight the Fiends had also passed. That meant that no one in the world had ever heard of them. Wherever they were in this world, they were back to their young ages and never having to fulfil their prophecy. And yet, Bahamut realized that wasn't so. He saw what was happening now. He remembered being here and talking with Leviathan because the new timeline gave him those memories. But then, why did he still remember the old timeline as well? He could still remember the Light Warriors coming to him, presenting him with the rat's tail, training with them for five years, sending them off, rejoicing with dragon kind over their victories, and even seeing them go back in time to finish off the Chaos beast. Why did he still remember this when everyone else did...

Then, it suddenly struck him. Of course. He had seen them go back in time to finish off the Chaos beast. He was in the hourglass chamber when this all took place. Because of that, he remembered what everyone else did not. He existed out of the flow of time when the timelines reset, and so he remembered what had transpired. However...that reminded him of something else. If now was the natural flow of time...then that meant that the Light Warriors themselves had been out of the natural flow of time when things had changed. They were in the past. Because of that...that meant...

Bahamut struggled to keep his face from lighting up. He drew in a deep breath, and calmed down somewhat. Afterward, he turned his head out to his two befuddled attendents. He gave them a nod. "Thank you, you two. I will be out in a moment. Please leave me."

Khan and Singh, however, were even more puzzled by this slightest change. They still looked uncertain. "Master...are you sure?"

"I just had a vivid dream, that's all." Bahamut calmly addressed. "I'll be along shortly. You may leave me."

The two looked to each other and shared a disapproving gaze. They paused for a bit longer as they looked back to their master. However, it didn't last long. After all, they were still obedient. In the end, they both sighed and turned, and then began to walk out of the chamber. Bahamut watched them go, almost earnestly wishing them to go faster. They seemed to take forever to finally leave. No doubt, they would soon vent more worry and might report to Leviathan. But that didn't matter. At last, they exited the door in the back, and pushed it closed again. Bahamut paused for a moment to make sure that all was silent.

Then, he quickly closed his eyes and focused. He had no idea where they were from or if he could find them like this. As he stretched out his mind, he began to feel all over the consciousnesses of the world to try and discover his old friends. Luckily, it was easier now. With the shadow dispelled, his own mental presence flowed through the Planet much more freely. It still took a few minutes. There were more people in the world now than in the old timeline, and there were much stronger and optimistic emotions. Bahamut felt some happiness inside as he felt other pure souls on the world, no longer blocked out by the darkness of Chaos. But that only made it harder to find his friends. He searched for quite some time, gazing for the strongest lights in the darkness...before he finally found them.

Far away in a distant land, among one of the wilder tribes of the world, Bahamut found them. These people were savages and outcasts to the regular kingdoms of the world. Bahamut, however, knew better. In these small gatherings of nomads and wanderers was the last blood of Palad and the Dragoons. Here they came together in this people, and though weakened they continued to exist. It was from here that Bahamut sensed them, and he knew that these were the people they had come from. The last noble races of mankind. It was fitting that they should come into possession of the crystal shards. Bahamut would have guessed this earlier had his mind not been clouded by delusions and lies. But that was over now. Now, he sensed them.

The esper hesitated a moment. In truth, he didn't know if they remembered him. They had been through so much already, and there was a chance that they died before the timeline reset. Bahamut might be the sole survivor of that forgotten world of chaos. It would be painful if they didn't remember him, for he considered them his friends just as Palad had once been his friend. Still, he had to know. If they were there, and if they did remember, then he had to at least explain what had happened...

And say goodbye.

"Darwin...Tuck...Harbaro...and Lucinda... Can you hear me?"

A fateful pause went by, in which Bahamut imagined no response, fear, or bewilderment. He held for a few moments and found himself praying that they would still answer. But after a moment, a tentative mental reply was sent back.

_...Master Bahamut...?_

The great esper breathed a sigh of relief. They did remember. Their thoughts were intact. After a pause to be happy about it, he spoke again. "Yes, I am here. And so are you."

_What's happened to the world?_ Another warrior asked, puzzled. _No one else remembers this. No one even remembers us getting the shards. And we're all five years younger again, like we never trained with you._

"Of course you never trained with me!" Bahamut cheerily answered, a smile forming on his mouth. "Just like you never received the shards! Because the Crystals were never darkened! Everything that ruined this world and killed millions of innocents is now undone. The end of the Oblivion Stone stopped the cycle of destruction from beginning before it even started. And everything that issued forth from it is also changed. I wager that even Garland is back to his old office in the kingdom, for he was never seduced by the evil of this world. Only the five of us remember, because we alone were outside the flow of time."

_So...that's it?_

_Everything we did...everything we fought for... It never happened?_

_The liberation of Cornelia... The saving of the mermaids... All gone?_

_But...that means everything we worked for never mattered to this world..._

Bahamut sat up a bit at that. "Didn't matter?" He responded. "Young humans, everything that this world is, every life that came that would not have been, indeed every breath of fresh air, cool drink of water, rich feeling of earth, and warm ray from the sun is because of you! This world never had such a dark history because of you! You've saved everyone on this world from a horrible fate. People can live in peace and grow and develop because of you, and this planet still lives because of you. Were you expecting honors for all of this? Acclaim? Praise? Were you not rather fighting for a destiny where a man and woman can live on a fertile land and grow their own harvests in peace and security, raise their families, and have the promise of a brighter future?"

The four paused at that. It was true, that was what they were fighting for. And despite everything they did having never existed, that was ultimately the truth.

"Now you have liberated both past and future for this world and for all free peoples." Bahamut continued. "Now you see your own lives turned back, and once again a bright future is before you. And now, it is not dimmed by the darkness of an age that was erased from history. So make your futures a bright one, for you four alone, out of all humans on the Planet, now have the power to realize that you have a second chance. Indeed, all of this world has a second chance."

The four didn't answer, but heard what Bahamut had to say. However, he could sense them. He felt them grow lighter of heart and stronger. He felt their happiness take away their confusion, and their passions soared once again. Now, they no longer had to toil and ruin. The next five years would not be one of hellish training, but would be theirs to do with as they pleased. And Bahamut already knew that what they had experienced would make them improve this world for the better. The memory that they held in their heart would guide them in this next chapter. The true Age of Humans had begun now.

_Thank you, master._

_For everything._

"Do not thank me." Bahamut flatly answered. "I thank you. You have done what no esper could, and you have brought hope to a dying race. You restored my faith in humanity, and I shall not forget it. And now..." A pause from the great dragon. "...Our time has come at last to part."

Bahamut sensed a change. A great sadness came among the four heroes. Each of them grew downcast and silent. They didn't protest this. After all, they knew that this day would come. Espers forever lived apart from mankind, and they would not intervene. That was the way of things. Still, he sensed their sadness. He inhaled deeply at this...and felt a great pain within as well. He did not wish to part with them either. He had grown to love them too much. He had spent years with them. He had changed as they had changed, and they had taught him much about faith and courage. To lose them would be like losing a piece of himself now. He would miss seeing them from day to day, constantly waiting for reports, and of basking in the purity of their small yet powerful spirits. But he too realized that he couldn't escape the way of things either, the path that he had set out. In the end, he had to do this no matter what he felt. It would be hard, but he would manage. The separation between humans and espers would remain, as it had always had, so that what had transpired over 2,000 years of darkness would never happen again.

"For thousands of years I have watched the human race with fear and disgust." Bahamut continued. "Now, as you four go forth, I look on it with hope. May your days be blessed, and all the days of mankind."

A pause, but then a quiet voice replied.

_...We'll never forget you, Lord Bahamut._

Slowly, the great esper cracked a smile...struggling to keep a tear from rolling down his eye.

"And neither will I...my dear friends. Farewell."

With that, Bahamut cut the mental signal off...and never talked to them again.

The great esper leaned back after this. He opened his eyes and inhaled deeply. So much was due to them. Any happiness or glory that he felt in the next few centuries would be because of them. And they had been good friends...making him feel young and light-hearted again to be with them. But...all things had to pass. That too was the destiny of an immortal. Even if he stayed with them, eventually they would have died. For now, they had earned the right to decide their own futures free of his own hand. And so, he had to let them go. He sharply exhaled, struggling to push all of his sadness and despair away from himself. He raised a claw and wiped his reptillian eyes free of the salty tears that had started to well in them. No use crying now. No one else would understand...although he felt Leviathan might in time. But for now, he had to keep this to himself. He too had to adjust into this new world of light, and to try and make it last. The curse of Hades was gone now. Everything was over.

However, as Bahamut relaxed and prepared to move...he realized one last item was left.

_No...it isn't over._

_...One thing remains.

* * *

_

The kingdom of Cornelia was still a minor kingdom in this new timeline. However, it mattered little to the people. They were free of the wars and conquest of the Northern Kingdom although they had such power. They could govern themselves and go about their business. Their main concerns now were in living up to their tradition of being the city of dreams. They specialized in agriculture and music, development of the arts, and architecture. They were a great cultural center in the world, predating a time when such things were valued. In time, what they discovered and specialized in would reach value to the world and to civilization. But for now, conquest was still valued. People were only now starting to settle down and develop a culture built outside of war. Cornelia, free of such conflicts, had managed to do so, and soon their influence would spread. But for now, it remained a minor kingdom, peaceful and tranquil and without any cares.

As night fell on the city, the citizens went to sleep to dream once again. No nightmares or fears were among the populace. The only thing that could scare the children were ghost stories about the mysterious hill of cobblestones far outside the main city. One felt a small chill whenever they passed on the hill, and wild animals seemed to come there, but there was nothing else of note in that place. It was no longer dark and cursed as it had once been in the past timeline. Now, it was merely a myth and legend, and it had passed into nothingness along with allelse that was once dark and wicked in the world. No invading armies would come here. No great armies from over the sea. They were secure with their own force of knights to defend them from any other danger. And their captain, Garland, was perhaps the greatest knight on the face of the Planet. And so, one by one the lights of the houses went out. The young princess and her older sister turned in as well, and the peaceful kingdom began to slowly fade out as the stars began to appear.

At the top of one of the castle towers was the main room of the knight captain. It was alone and solitary here, leading up a large circular stone staircase to the chamber. No other guards were posted here, and all other attendents had turned in. Thus, when the echoing footsteps of a single man came up, there was no one else to hear them. In the dim torchlight leading up to the room, a single armored man made his way forward. He shook and jingled a bit in his dark suit as he ascended, but no other sound came out. It echoed throughout the tower up and down, to the ceiling and to the floor far below. His own face was dark, hard as flint, and silent as he ascended. At last, he reached the top. There a great wooden door loomed in front of him, shut with a heavy padlock. The captain calmly reached down into his cape, and moments later emerged with a heavy iron key. He quickly slid it into the lock as he approached, gave a turn, removed the lock, and passed through the doorway. Once inside, he quickly shut it and replaced the lock, fastening it again.

Garland turned to his interior, and saw that his balcony was open. The curtains were drawn aside and moonlight poured in, granting some illumination to the chamber. It was well furnished, much more than any other knight's chamber. It had various items of furniture and flatware to make it more cozy and home-like. It was carpeted and had the walls filled with tapestries to make it more comfortable. The room had its own fireplace, and the bed was covered with actual sheets and a mattress rather than loose animal articles. A lamp was by the bed as well. It was very classy as far as the human race went. Garland paid it no mind, however. He had seen it all now. He simply made his way over to the bed and reached up to his helmet. He unfastened some iron clasps, and then set it down. His head was revealed, sporting a black mustache and a black head of hair. It was darker than any other human hair color was, and almost shined with an unnatural power and strength. But it was all the same to him. That done, he ran his fingers through his hair and paused a moment.

At that, however, he noticed that the moonlight suddenly vanished. Something had come forth and suddenly blocked it, and the room was shrouded in darkness. The knight frowned, and turned around behind him to see what cloud had arisen to cover it.

However, he froze the moment he did, for it was no cloud.

It was a massive esper.

Garland didn't change. Clearly, he was frozen in surprise. And a measure of fear gripped him as he stared up at the beast, four times his size, looking over him. His eyes enlarged, and he stared at the massive beast without moving...without daring to even breathe. The room went deathly silent, as the great esper growled deep within its throat. And yet, Garland was not like others. Regular humans would cower in fear. Others might pass out from sheer fear and awe. This one, however, was standing his ground. Despite his own awe and fear, he was enduring it. He stood up and did not shake before this great creature. He acknowledged his surprise at seeing it, and the power of the great beast. However, that was all.

As for Bahamut, he did not relax. He flexed his powerful wings and fanned them throughout the room, blocking out more of the light. He drew up his energy into himself, rippling his powerful muscles. He exhaled a powerful breath of hot air. Then, he curled his great serpentine neck down and glared hard into the eyes of the humanoid below him. His reptile gaze burned with yellow light.

His voice boomed out in a shaking tone, making the room quake and reverberating through the man's flesh.

"Who are you?"

Garland didn't respond immediately. He blinked a bit, seeming surprised at that. After a moment, he shook his head. "I...don't understand."

"Tell me who you are, what you're doing here, and why you came here." Bahamut coldly stated in reply. His voice was demanding.

"You...you're an esper, aren't you?" Garland answered, still sounding bewildered. "I didn't think you existed... Why have you come to me?"

"Play innocent with me, and I will kill you where you stand." Bahamut darkly retorted.

Garland looked a bit surprised at that. A further wave of fear went over his face, and he shrank back a little. However...Bahamut knew better. He could see into this man's mind. It was a lie...a fabrication...a performance. There was something deeper within. And as the world had changed, it alone had remained. Bahamut wanted answers. He remembered this foul man's words in the former timeline. And he remembered what he sensed from him. It had not come out in this timeline, but he could feel it still there. Still lurking beneath the surface...waiting for its next opportunity to arise. Bahamut would be damned if he let that happen. No more riddles or games. This would be cleared once and for all today.

"I...I don't know what you're saying." Garland answered, his voice pleading...yet a bit too controlled. "I've never seen you before. I'm a knight of this realm. What injury have I done to you? What evil have I performed? I remember nothing...but if it is something else, then I will gladly make restitution... But I don't know what you are saying."

At that, Bahamut drew himself up further. The air began to charge and grow dark. The air seemed to stop, and the light dimmed. Only the light in the creature's eyes remained. Garland's own eyes widened and shrank. He pulled back further, beginning to cringe from the great creature. Bahamut cracked open his huge mouth and snorted a blast of moist, hot air. It clenched its fists and extended its claws. It seemed larger, darker, and stronger than ever now, able to smash its puny audience with a single gesture. It spoke again, its voice angrier and darker.

"You begin to irritate me." It snarled. "I know more than you realize. I know what you are. You are not human. You are a Lufenian. And I can see your soul. I can see your sinister desires and your evil malice. I can see what wickedness you are planning, and I know what you would do if you had the chance. You haven't an ounce of love in your heart, and your mind is swimming with dark purposes of death and destruction. I have not seen such evil in such a person for generations. You are loathesome even to witness. I know you did not come here as a man, but for some other goal. If you don't wish me to smash you into dust this instant, you had better tell me the truth now. Answer my questions or I will end your life."

Garland froze at that. He said nothing in response...but he cowered no more. Instead, he stared simply back at the great esper. Bahamut himself gave another deep throated growl and waited. He exerted his great presence over the man and waited for a response.

Then, to his surprise, there was a change. Abruptly...the evil flowed out from within, and the cold nature of the man was revealed. It was not chaotic or wild as it had been before. No...it was controlled, cool and concentrated. Suddenly, his faux fear vanished. His eyes turned from shocked to calm, and slowly narrowed. His open mouth closed, and his lips twisted into a calm expression. Slowly, he drew himself back up, and flapped his cape down around himself.His dark armor too seemed to intensify. The shadow around him seemed to grow, and he too projected his own aura. The air turned cold around him...and the smell of death exuded from his form. It was strong, and soon it slammed into Bahamut's senses. It cut through his own nature easily and overrid his feelings, soon washing the dark feelings of death over him. Bahamut hesitated at this, and nearly betrayed genuine surprise. His wings shifted and nearly recoiled, and he had to struggle not to shift them. As for the man...his skin began to turn white and pale, another deathly shade. It stood out from the rest of the darkness around him, and grew stronger. A fire lit up in his eyes, and burned forward into the esper. Not even the illusion of fear was there now. No...only evil overrid this thing now.

"Well...it appears you creatures have finally begun to figure us out." The man calmly addressed. "But right now, as much as you think you may have deduced, you know precious little. After all...you haven't the mental capacity to understand. None of you can even fathom it."

Bahamut reacted a bit at this. The voice was sharp and cold, and it seemed to penetrate into him. It was a power that he had never witnessed before, not even from the past evils. It felt as if it was parting his flesh and diving into his very soul. He struggled not to swallow or shake. He couldn't show fear, not now. He had to endure it.

Garland merely gave a shrug. "It doesn't matter, you know. It is inevitable. Plans have been drawn against you and your world for thousands of years now. You cannot stop them from coming to fruition. None of you can."

Bahamut forced his anger to come up. He made it push down his fear, and glared at the man. "...Who are you?"

"I am Garland." The man simply answered. "I am a product of years of selective breeding, subconscious tutelage, and genetic manipulation. You can't even begin to understand what those things are, but they were made specifically to make me the ultimate Terran. Lufenian, as you say it, is merely the name we received from this world. It is quite meaningless to us. I was the result of all of my people's greatest scientific achievements, all so that I could one day attain a level of power and intelligence and longevity that I might continue to accomplish the goals and devices of my race. The task will one day be dilleniated to me to accomplish the great work that has begun."

Indeed, Bahamut understood very little of it. It involved words he had never heard before. He did understand one thing, however, and it amazed him. The Lufenians were advanced for a good reason. They were from another world. Bahamut had long since considered the possibility that this was the case. Leviathan had introduced the possibility years ago that other worlds, far older and more mature than theirs, did exist. And if such worlds existed, then perhaps older and wiser races were on them as well. Perhaps there was even a way for them to interact. Bahamut had heard this, which was dimissed as foolishness by much of their own race, and considered it for a long time. He wondered if it was true for the Lufenians or other races that appeared to have powers and intelligence far greater than that which was naturally possible. Now, it appeared that he had seen it, and that it was proved true. And that knowledge surprised him, for despite his suspicions he had not expected it to be real. But that was why the Lufenians read so different from them. Their spirits...they were not native to this world. They were of another planet entirely, and the thought of that astonished him. However, he didn't show it. He wanted to know more now.

"You're working with the Lufenians, aren't you?"

"You understand already what is in my blood." Garland simply replied. "There is little else to expand on. You should know that I am with the Lufenians, or, more appropriately, the last of the Terrans. Scientists from a far and distant world that is fast passing away. Already, their people are feeling the final stroke of death. The few that are left struggle to sustain themselves long enough to make plans for future preservation. Within a few hundred years more, the last of the Terrans will go extinct. We came here looking for a way to survive."

Bahamut lowered his eyes. "And how did you plan that?"

"Why, quite simple actually." Garland calmly replied. "Our planet was dying. So we planned to take yours."

The esper's eyes widened at this.

"Surely, you must have suspected something by now." Garland calmly responded. "And yet you can't have done so, because it wasn't until now that you tried something. Ages ago, when we first arrived on this world, it was a waste. We waited patiently for it to recover, and over time it managed to regrow and regenerate. It promised to become something that we could use. However, such was not to be. Soon after, a new race of creatures emerged onto the world...a race that we, and you, both know now to be espers.

"The first esper that emerged was far more powerful than any of our calculations. Our war machines were little to nothing compared to the powerful creature that we encountered. We struggled to provide a defense against it, but it continuously unveiled new powers that were far beyond our estimates. It actually had enough power to dominate the races of this world and warp the climate. We were unsure of how to proceed after that moment. We attempted to develop a prototype, but before we could proceed with testing, you and your breathren arose and destroyed this esper. On doing so, you restored the planet and allowed the native populations to develop. Our hope was restored again that we could use this world.

"However, we also realized that your powers far excelled that of our own. Any attempt to try and resettle to this world would fail if we tried to contest your powers. We couldn't even begin to risk generating machines that could combat you, and we lacked the technology. We put everything we had into the prototype at that time none the less. We planned to try and destroy your race while you were still immature in power and knowledge.

"We tested you on one of our combat craft. However, you destroyed it, and our calculations were ruined. We were back to square one, and unable to account for your increase in strength. The device was meant to drain your power and use it to counter you, but it was unable to surpass your power and eventually fell."

"Ark..." Bahamut slowly uttered.

Garland raised an eyebrow. "You remember, I see. But you made the mistake of never following up on its origins. You never found where it had come from, which would have led you to us in the end. At any rate, our plans were thwarted. We struggled to perfect new technology to fight back, but it was useless. Soon your race began to breed, creating more dangerous and potential targets every few centuries. Each one needed a new combat strategy. What more, this world was constantly plunged in and out of a destructive cycle as more deadly creatures arose from your race. Each one threatened to ruin this world for our use. Fortunately, each time your race managed to do something about it, and our problems were solved for us. In the meantime, our race continued to dwindle and die on our home world of Terra, and we struggled to find a way to make this world, designate Gaea, usable.

"However, a new problem has arisen. We are using all of our resources to cheat death now. But our minds are growing weak. Our bodies are aging. Our technology develops too slowly. Therefore, the Lufenians realize that they are reaching their zenith, and are now beginning to decline. The few survivors are falling into distress and weakness. Genetic bottleneck has already doomed their race to a slow destruction before Terra itself dies. The race will soon be obsolete, and unable to continue in their mission. To that end, they pooled their resources together and their greatest technological achievements to create a caretaker of their race, so to speak. They made a being that had the integrity and power to be able to sustain their achievements and complete the work of eventually finding a place for the people to reside in. The result was me. After being drilled with the full measure of Terran technology and scientific wisdom, I was sent to this world to learn the qualities of leadership and industriousness. I was also gradually to be given control of the Lufenians facilities on this world, and then the ones onTerra as well. I am to automate and speed up all processes, in preparation of the inevitable day in which I would assume sole ownership and direction of all Terran civilization. Yet shortly after arriving on this world and beginning to run the calculations, I encountered a new problem."

"What problem was that?" Bahamut darkly answered, struggling to restrain himself.

"A small yet statistically significant probability remained, even if we were successful in destroying the espers. We began to realize, with time, that the most populace mammal species on the world was growing in power. The human race has begun the elementary items of technological development. They are starting to unite under the first smatterings of true civilization. Their individual power is growing, and now they begin to realize the powers of their own chis and the planet's energy. For now, they are still far our inferiors. But we cannot provide a specific timetable as to how fast their development will proceed, nor a specific timetable as to when we shall be able to make our move and put our plans into action. They would be problems, in short, in the future. And so, I endeavored to do a new project.

"I inserted myself into human society. I would observe them and their dominate qualities. I would make mental profiles to be able to determine human lines of deduction and thinking, and would make myself an invaluable quality to a kingdom. As such, I would be in a prime position to be able to cause a disruption in human society, and ursurp their authority and powers so that they would be easier to conquer if they proved themselves too dangerous. In the meantime, I would be able to predict how they would react in the future, and in doing so I would be able to have an advantage over them and further manipulate them in courses of futility or self destruction. A weakness would be placed upon the human race, and eventually that weakness would be able to defeat them."

Bahamut glared hatefully at the dark being in front of them. So...he and his people were the reason for Ark. And they were the reason for the Age of Chaos. It made sense. This thing before him...it had no love inside it. No mercy. No compassion. It existed, but only in a limited sense. It had been bred to not feel tenderness or kindness. It was built only to kill. It was created to bring destruction to this world, to dispose of the races so that invaders from another world could conquer it. It would never feel the slightest bit of sadness or remorse for countless deaths. To them, they were only lives to clear out of the way for another race. That was why this Garland was the perfect tool for Chaos. He was a being who desired only to bring chaos to this world. He was a creature who served others only as a weapon of destruction. The Oblivion Stone had took him and drawn him back.

Then...they had made him self aware.

They made him care about himself. They made him think about his own existence. And when he saw that he was only a creature designed to be the slave of another race, it had broken him. It had warped him into darkness. Still, he could feel no love or care. He could only feel a desire to destroy. And at that time, it wanted to destroy both all life on this world and all life of the Terrans as well. It desired only absolute death for all races and all life, and had devoted itself to the mad notions of creating a world of nothingness. This demented creature and his selfish race...they had done this all. And Bahamut would hear no more of it. His anger flared, and it began to burn deep within him. He glared only a moment longer before speaking out darkly, his voice shaking the air again.

"...Alright...now you listen to me. You and your people are going to leave this world. Right here. Right now. Whatever technology you left I want gone. Then I never want to see you or another Lufenian or Terran ever again. I will give you two days to get out of my sight. If you don't, I will lead the whole host of my race against you, and we shall turn your civilization here into a ruin."

Garland endured this, even as the walls shook and dust began to rain down from the ceiling. The power pushed him a little, but still he did not shift. He waited until the great esper had finished, and listened as his voice slowly calmed down and faded. He never changed or looked the slightest bit afraid. At last, as the echo of Bahamut's voice vanished, Garland simply shook his head and uttered a small sigh himself.

"You still understand nothing, I see." Garland calmly answered. "Why do you think I bothered to tell you all of these things...if I wasn't totally confident that you could do nothing to stop them?"

Bahamut, to this, finally showed something. His head snapped back in surprise.

"We have done many calculations of you, esper. And we have learned much. But most of all...we learned that your power is finite. The power of the other races of the world will either die or continue to grow. One day, it will surpass even yours. When that day comes, the espers will begin to fall. We don't know when exactly, but it will eventually happen. In the meantime, I will take charge of our research and I will develop new and powerful weapons. Already, I am discovering a new way to make your world ours without an invasion. I know more than you could possibly imagine. You still don't know the half of what we do. In time, you will fade, and in your place the Terrans will move in and finally make this world their own. It is inevitable."

Bahamut hesitated at this, but merely snorted. "...Believe it or not...I've heard you say that before."

"Believe whatever you wish." Garland simply answered. "But as you wish, I will depart. At least, until I know for certain that your power is broken. Until I am ready to unlock my next device on you. But rest assured, you will neither expect nor anticipate this next strike. This is only the beginning, esper."

Bahamut's anger surged. He gave a deep throated growl. He had taken enough of this. His claw balled into a fist, and abruptly he lunged forward and swiped right for the foul man before him. However, his fist sailed right into his stoic face...and then simply slid through. Bahamut's anger vanished at this, being replaced by surprise instead. But as he continued to look, he saw that the man was vanishing. His reality was blurring, vanishing as if into a cloud of mist or an illusion. A moment later, it vanished all together, as he became clear instead of opaque and vanished into nothing. Soon, he was swallowed up into the empty air, and was gone.

Bahamut hesitated, but then began to wildly look around. As he did, he stretched out his senses. But it was too late. Garland had vanished. He had some sort of technology or spell to make him teleport. Using it, he had already gone far away from there. His presence wasn't even within a hundred mile radius. It was likely that he was back at the flying fortress, and far from the reach of Bahamut. He was probably leaving now or rushing to hide himself so that he couldn't be found, along with the others. This frustrated the esper. He sneered and dug his talons into the ground, digging huge trenches into it. He flashed his tail out angrily, and without a care for who heard he ripped a large section out of a nearby wall. He swung his fist around to the edge of the window frame and smashed it in. It created a horrible racket, but he didn't care. As time went on, his anger only continued to grow, and his frustration at himself continued to build.

This had gone on right under his nose. This plot...this conspiracy...right in front of all of them. There was no excuse for hiding now. The Lufenians had done it all right in front of their face. This whole time they had endlessly conspired to take over the world and destroy its native species. The whole time they had been desperately seeking a way to kill them. For thousands of years, their race had been weighing and measuring them, studying them like lab animals in a cage. They probed all their secrets, abilities, and techniques, and this was what they had come up with. And even now, they were retreating to conspire and plot even more against them. Now, they couldn't stop or anticipate what was going to happen next. They would strike again when they least expected it now. Bahamut cursed himself. He should have outright killed them. He should have smashed their fortress to dust. But it was too late. And now, who knew what devilry they could bring?

Bahamut panted in anger, continuing to fume. Already, fear began to fill the castle, and he heard men rushing up to the room. However, he forced himself to calm down. He couldn't accept this. Garland had been wrong once already. He was a threat, yes, but he didn't know everything. And they knew much more. He didn't care how the man boasted. His destiny for this world would not come to pass. The espers would stop him. From now on, he and his people would be their sworn enemies. They would devote themselves to his destruction. If ever he returned, no matter what device he had planned it would be stopped. It would not be as easy as he predicted.As long as their was life in his body, and life in the bodies of all espers, this would be stopped. He would not let this new age that he fought so hard for fall so easily by the hand of one man.

The dragon esper resolved to this, and then gave himself a nod. Without anymore hesitation, he turned and walked back out the window, and in a moment was soaring away from Cornelia. The people behind were left to enter the room and wonder as to what horror had befallen Garland and his room. As for Bahamut, he pushed the dark man out of his head for now. He was one of the few people in the world who knew there was reason to celebrate, and for tonight he planned to do so.

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
